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asrisgratitudejournal · 2 days ago

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Janggal

23.15. She has some stuff she needs to do (one of them being: MAKING SOAL UAS misalnya) but she decided to pour some (not some, A LOT OF) stuff on her head to this blank page of word document just because.

The whole day from the very morning, I have been getting very irritated by a WhatsApp message (THREE. EXACT SAME MESSAGES. TO BE ACCURATE) I have read from Saturday, and I got the point already (I left my READ RECEIPT ON) and there was literally no action point I needed to do but certain people apparently couldn’t use all available data to deduce and has things to be spelled out for them (???) that I decided to give action (just so they stop).

From there I messaged maybe 5 of you just to check if my being irritated was justified (and worth my time and energy) and thanks to all of you I got some kind of closure (and diverse POVs!). The biggest closure would come from one of you who knows PERSONALLY these people and I was just SO GLAD I got the validation I needed: “gapapa mbak, emang mereka orangnya JANGGAL”. Made my day tbh (thank you). And this might be the first time I heard someone used “janggal” attributed to person/people’s personality (don’t we say JANGGAL for phenomenon usually? “janggal sekali peristiwa alam tersebut” or what? Where do we usually use ‘janggal’ as an adjective??? Looks? “Foto itu terlihat janggal”, “cara berjalan orang itu janggal sekali”, “ada yang tak biasa dari penampilan Fulan, dia terlihat janggal”).

Which reminds me to how French people (or at least A LOT OF my French friends and profs in France) use the word “bizarre” EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. We were looking at well logs and the NPHI/RHOB wouldn’t match the gamma ray and they would say “this is so bizarre”. “What a bizarre data”. Me being a 22-year-old non-native English speaker be like “OK so that’s how you use ‘bizarre’ in a sentence even though I never heard it ever in any American TV show I watched and English books I have read” and now 10 years later realizing “I never heard ANY NATIVE English speaker said ‘bizarre’ ever”. (I later learned ‘bizarre’ is a French word and so they, the French, would just prefer to use it because English adopted the word – alias kata serapan).

OK back to Janggal. Or Bizarre. Odd. Strange. Weird. Interesting. Shit I hate the word ‘interesting’ SO. MUCH. Just because it popped up a lot. A. LOT. in our teams’ conversation during my DPhil. “I am so confused with my data, it didn’t give the trend you would have expected, not that we should expect anything from them” “It’s OK Asri it’s so interesting! We have never seen anything like it!”. ‘Interesting’ is such a neutral and safe word and not discouraging when other adjectives like odd or strange or weird gives more negative connotation. Anyways, on the way home this evening in the train I thought: for something to be ‘janggal’, don’t we need to have the ‘normal’? aka the norm aka the general trend because ‘janggal’ means the anomaly. But then whose standard are we using to define the ‘normal’?

Makan pake tangan, duduk di lantai/lesehan, not walking anywhere you go, OR walking anywhere you go. Those customs and habits would be ‘janggal’ in one place but not in other? In the ‘western world’, eating with hand (no cutleries) would be frowned upon and be seen as blasphemy (lebay) or at least unhygienic but here in Indo I would eat using my hands anytime? (except when I eat soupy food, exception from exception: soupy Nasi Padang). The other day back in 2022-ish I invited Indo friends to my Headington home and I didn’t have enough chairs at home, so we sat on the floor in the living room and my housemate (South African of Indian descent) was so shocked when she saw us ngamprak di lantai she offered a chair in her room to be brought out to the living room (ONE CHAIR, which wouldn’t be enough to accommodate all of us, but I felt touched by the thought) so we could sit on the chair instead. I insisted: “No, this is how we do it back home! It’s easier and we can talk closer to each other this way”. Walking everywhere here will make people question you: “mbak, kok jalan?” insinuating walking = janggal di Indo (and maybe the US too) vs in Europe people walk literally everywhere (or they take their bikes with them).

Back to my case in the beginning: what if the JANGGAL one is not them but me? But again, we have common senses (which also can be another thinking exercises because apparently what I consider ‘common sense’ is not as much a common sense for other people? Who defined common sense? Common sense by whose standard? To me, it is common sense not to shove other people’s ass with exact same text messages (up to 3 times), but apparently this is not a common sense to other?). WOW. She really got so worked up on this. Betul-betul sayang sekali Non energi ini bisa dipakai untuk yang lain. Tapi gapapa.

YAUDAH. Cuma mau ranting aja. Sudah solved harusnya. Memang no whatsapp tuh harusnya nggak TERSEBAR dengan liberal di mana-mana(!) tapi ada group whatsapp G&G (which exposed my whatsapp number, what a dilemma)… Tapi yaudah sepertinya action point untuk saat ini kalau ada whatsapp masuk nomor gak dikenal akan langsung aku blok aja (jahat), atau yaudah gausah dibales (I already did that tapi masih aja diterror terus-terusan , tapi emangnya menurut kalian kalau orang udah read gakbales tu gimana sih, masih harus tetap diteror terus-terusan kah sampe dibales “IYA SIAP SUDAH BACA” apa gimana… I don’t even owe them anything…).

PS. I said to these same people: ‘please respond me WHEN I NEED A RESPONSE so that I can plan my week/month accordingly”. In my defence, I did ask them question, with question marks, so I need answers so I can plan my week accordingly based on their response. But with their case to me, the text literally doesn’t have any question mark on them. There is nothing to answer to! It was almost like an announcement, a notification, a remark. What can I say to that??? Except OK? And even I need to spell ‘OK’? Like, come on, do I talk to a 6-year-old? CAPEK BGT.

Sekian dan terima kasih.

00.15 28 May 2025 Asri’s bedroom

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milchig-de · 3 years ago

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Appy slices

Pairing: Gunther B. Gunnerson x Reader

Summary: You cut apple slices to demonstrate your feelings. Too bad you get caught.

Warnings: curse words

Notes: Sorry to the anon whom I told I have no time bc I genuinely don't, i just don't sleep to make these

also guess who finally found a gif of just him i swear why are there almost no gifs (dont actually answer, ik why)

Usually, you wouldn't do this. You weren't the type of person to play housespouse and cook and clean for their hard-working partner. Well, admittedly, he wasn't your partner (yet), and if he really was working hard could most certainly be debatable, but! What counts most is that you have a massive crush on him. Gunther, the head of the Asteroid Defense System and the hottest person in this ship.

Now, you couldn't just ignore these feelings so they'd leave you alone. In fact, you tried to do so, but as fate has wanted it, you happened to be meeting him a lot more in those days, so you just let them be. So, in this special case, you decided to demonstrate your feelings by cutting apple slices for him - like a good stay-at-home spouse would! Except for the fact that you're not.

But it made sense to you: While food wasn't exactly sparse, it was mostly the same with almost everything being a sandwich of some sort. Even that was questionable in terms of shelf life, but luckily Mark had hired you as a food scientist to figure out a way to keep food fresh longer. And you did! Perhaps there were a lot of chemicals inside the food now, though it's not like that'd be too different from the food on earth.

Because of these additives you had also been able to sneak in some fruit. While Mark thought a diet consisting of Tuna and PB&J sandwiches was the most optimal, you thought a little change from the usual to be quite welcome - like apples for example.

Going back to the present, you had finished cutting the apples. Now you only had to consider how you'd lay them out. Should you include a hidden message? Arrange them in the shape of a heart for example? Spell the first letter of your name? No, that one would be too inconclusive. Could've been anyone who had the same letter somewhere, so it'd be better to let it be. And even the heart could be misinterpreted, so it was best not to risk it. In the end, you decided to go with something simple: The flat side of the half-circle slices faced the board, fanned in a way that made it seem as if someone had knocked them over like dominoes. In terms of further presentation, the best you could do was your cutting board that you'd brought yourself. If you didn't get it back it wouldn't necessarily be a problem, for you could still cut what you needed on a table. Most things here were made out of metal anyways.

So here you were, sneaking into ADS to put the slices down for Gunther to enjoy. It's not like you didn't want him to know it was you, but you also didn't want to be confronted by him as you'd die of embarrassment, so this was the best option. Seriously.

Upon checking that no one was looking and/or in the room, you quickly entered, put down the slices and left immediately. Before coming here you had also ripped a small piece of paper out of your diary and written 'Gunther' on it, so everyone would know who it was for.

Once you arrived in your room, you let out a big, relieved sigh. Finally, you had done something about your feelings! Now the only thing left to do was wait. But as a good crew member, you couldn't just sit in your room and twirl your thumbs. So, you straightened out your uniform, took a few deep breaths for preparation, and then headed out again.

Life as a crew member wasn't too hard, it was mostly just analysing data from the ship. In your case, it was making sure that the plants for the oxygen supply were all healthy and thriving. Although you found it a little boring, you had no problem in doing so.

Today was one of the days you had to serve a status report of the past few days of analysis to the captain; as the captain, they should know what's going on on their ship after all. So you did your best to prepare a nice, comprehensive report.

On your way to get some coffee for you and the captain, you decided to also stop by ADS and take a quick look inside. Maybe Gunther had already eaten some of the slices?.. A quick glance through the window assured you that he had indeed not eaten them yet. Did he think they were poisoned? No, that couldn't be. He probably just hasn't seen them yet. Shaking your head, you continued your original mission of getting coffee.

After quickly preparing two mugs, you tucked your clipboard with the report under your arm, carefully balancing the full mugs to the main module.

As the door opened, you could already see the captain standing there, back to the door. Busy as it always was, some other crew members were shuffling around in the background.

'Hello, captain. I've brought you some coffee.'

At your words, the captain turned around and a smile covered their face. They happily took the coffee from your hands. You pulled out the clipboard from under your arm.

'I've got the reports all here, captain. Ready to hear them?'

They nodded as you began to present everything you had. Luckily there wasn't too much to present, which meant that everything was working perfectly. So the topic quickly switched around to possible challenges awaiting you in the new colony. So far, it wasn't sure what the planet you would land on would look like, but both you and the captain were determined to make the best of it. At least that's the conclusion you pulled out of their face expressions.

In the midst of your conversation, the door opened and Gunther walked in the room. Surprisingly, he didn't have his cigarette in his mouth. It made sense, considering he was holding a mug of coffee and... your apple slices!! It seemed he had only taken a few with him, but then again, who would carry around a whole cutting board. Still, you were elated to find out he had actually taken them and was eating them!! For the sake of not revealing your identity as the one who gave him the slices, you kept a fairly neutral expression.

He sauntered up to you and the captain.

'Y/N, good to see you. Cap'n, just came in to assure that the engines are looking good and still shooting as smoothly as ever.'

You cleared your throat.

'I'll take that as my cue to leave. See ya!'

Giving a small wave, you left the room. Before you left, you heard the sound of an apple being bitten into.

After being sure they didn't see you anymore, you let a triumphant smile cover your face. Pumping your fists victoriously, you started walking back to your bunk bed.

Suddenly, you heard footsteps behind you quickly approaching. You shuffled to the side a bit in case it was someone in a hurry, but the person stopped and fell in step next to you. Looking up, you realized that it was Gunther. He had his usual smirk on his face, though it seemed to be a little more smug than usual.

'Oh hey, Gunther. Do you need me for something?'

'No not really. Just wanted to thank you for the apple slices. An unusual gift, but I'll take it.'

Oh no. Oh shit oh fuck how did he know? You didn't leave behind a signature or anything. Your fingers nervously started fiddling with the clipboard in your hands.

'You know, you're the only one who could possibly have any different sort of food besides sandwiches with you. We're all limited to the food supply we have on the ship, after all.'

'I, well, I, uhm-'

You stumbled over your words, unsure what exactly to respond. The confidence you had previously had seemingly melted away into nothingness at the prospect of being caught. Your fumbling must've been amusing to Gunther, as he started chuckling. It was one of the most beautiful sounds you've ever heard, a little quiet, yet so full of feeling. Your heart swelled with admiration and love for him as you smiled along. Perhaps it didn't matter that he was more or less laughing at you - to be fair, you probably would've laughed at yourself too.

His laughter stopped and he leaned in close to your face. The smell of gunpowder and machine oil filled your senses, though it wasn't a smell you minded at all.

'Man, you're so adorable. Frankly, I think we should hang out a little more. Call it a date?'

The blush you've been desperately trying to hold back erupted across your cheeks. Your eyes widened and your mouth fell open to respond in an almost breathless voice:

'Yes please!'

Another chuckle slipped past his lips. He backed away and gestured for you to follow him.

'Alright, you're free now, right? Then we'll go to the cafeteria.'

Shaking yourself out of your stunned stupour, you jogged a bit to catch up to him. Grabbing his hand, you smiled at him.

'Cafeteria sounds great!'

This time it was his turn to be flustered, turning his head away to hide his expression. Nonetheless, his hand tightened around yours, holding it tightly.

#iswm gunther #iswm x reader #iswm gunther x reader #gunther b gunnersson x reader #gunther b gunnerson x reader #gunther b gunnerson #curse words

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gale-gentlepenguin · 4 years ago

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ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Part 35

(Master post)

(Insert excuse on why it took so long) (Insert comedic joke on why I didn't update sooner) (plea of trying better) (Heartfelt compliment on why all of you are awesome and patient)

Okay so now that we got that out of the way. But in all seriousness. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy.

If you do enjoy the fic, please Comment and reblog. Reblogs are like Gold on Tumblr and being a writer and posting to Tumblr is difficult. So every little bit helps.

Alright so now lets get to it.

_____________________________________________________________

The nurse heard the commotion going on in the halls. She knew that shortly after Chloé left, things outside the office became… restless. She turned off all the lights and locked the door to the nurse’s office. She did her best to stay quiet and not draw attention to the room. She knew those akuma were out there and she needed to focus on stabilizing her patient.

“I hope that Chloé managed to get that message out.” The nurse whispered to herself.

The woman felt weird pinning her hopes of escaping this place on a spoiled teenager, but at this point, beggars can’t be choosers.

She heard someone approach the door. The nurse felt her blood turn to ice. She refused to move a single inch. She hoped and prayed that the person would go away. She could hear the screams of students outside. She knew the akuma, whoever they were, were out there, and they were taking anyone they could find. Right now, all she could do was pray they don’t check.

“Please… for all that is good… let them leave.” She prayed under her breath.

After what felt like an eternity, she heard the sound of footsteps away from the door and everything returned to eerie silence.

She felt her essence sigh in relief.

She got up from the ground and went to go attend to the unconscious woman in the cot.

“Its strange for someone so young to be so exhausted… but then again, when I get into the line of work I am hoping for, it is likely I will be seeing a lot of cases like this.” Angela joked, trying to keep herself in good spirits. “Society is such a mess.”

Angela checked Nathalie’s pulse. It was present, but it felt off. It was weaker than she was expecting from someone of her age. Perhaps she has a much more serious medical condition. Angela would probably recommend that this woman see a professional when this is all said and done. Though for now, she was stable and calm, which was a very good sign.

The nurse considered that maybe she wasn’t getting an accurate reading, was something off with the assistant’s breathing? She would need to check. The nurse grabbed a stethoscope and moved closer, getting ready to check again.

“Ow!” She yelped as she felt something grab her arm. Nathalie had awaken and she had a firm grip on the woman's wrist.

“What are you doing!?” The surprised assistant exclaimed

“You're awake!? Oh, thank goodness.”

“Awake?”

“Yes, you passed out at a most stressful time. Right now, I recommend we keep our voices down.” The nurse hushed.

‘S***’

Nathalie mentally cursed to herself. She knew it had to be Masquerade. Her little episode resulted in her being far too late to get in and out without issue. She was planning on getting Adrien out of here before things went south.

She got up from the cot she had been laying in.

“Hold on a second.” Angela called out. “You need to stay and rest. I am glad you are conscious. But that sudden fainting spell could be indicative of…”

Nathalie did not have time for this. She gave an ice-cold glare at the nurse.

“If you intend on making me stay here, you will need to do so by force!”

The nurse felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. This woman’s eyes clearly showed intent on fighting. Angela was not a fighter, she helped people, not hurt them.

“You are my patient, and there is a lot of danger outside. You are in no condition to go out there.”

Nathalie had to respect the woman’s guts for standing up to her, despite the nurse’s knees shaking as she maintained eye contact.

“Okay, so how will we deal with the akuma breaking in then.”

“What!”

Angela turned her back to Nathalie, who took full advantage, giving the school nurse a fierce chop to the neck. Causing the nurse to drop like a sack of potatoes.

“Rest up.”

Nathalie put the nurse in the cot that she had previously been resting in.

“Seems I don’t have time to be subtle. Duusu.”

The blue Kwami popped out.

“Nathalie! Do you want to play?”

“Yes Duusu, the game is find Adrien and get out of here.”

“Horray!”

“Duusu! Spread my feathers!”

_____________________________________________________________

“Get down!” Ladybug dived into Chat noir, helping them both avoid the pause symbols and deadly bubbles headed their way. The akuma on both sides of them managed to avoid the incoming attacks they had sent towards the heroes.

“Thanks LB.” Chat noir thanked. “While you are the second person I want to be dancing with. We can't keep dodging forever. Even if their moves are predictable. Maybe those masks are the key to stopping them."

“Hardly a dance, its ettiquette for the boy to lead if it is. And I don't think so. Those masks appear to be unbreakable and impossible to remove” Ladybug said as she pulled her partner quickly back up, both noticing the akuma were ready for more.

“We still haven’t tried cataclysm.” Chat noir comments as he runs and jumps over a trashcan to avoid getting nailed by Bubbler’s attack bubbles.

“Right, but that would leave you exposed. Call it a hunch, but we will need to save it for later.” Ladybug responds as she jumps away and opens a door to block several pause symbols. "Besides, do you want to be mask-less at this Akuma calamity?"

“I was going to say it was more like a Masquerade ball. And no I would not."

Ladybug rolled her eyes at the lame joke, but still had a bit of a smile. Lightening the mood.

"Silly kitty"

"But seriously, we need a plan. If we can’t free them, what can we do?”

Ladybug focused for a moment. She noticed the way they were attacking, it was predictable and slow. Normally the akuma change up their attacks, or at least seem more aware of what the heroes are doing. The akuma were acting a lot more like controlled puppets. Much like when she had to deal with Puppeteer. Seems this akuma had some drawbacks that could be exploited. This was where Ladybug realized there was a way to deal with them.

“We disarm them. Break Bubbler’s wand and I will terminate Lady Wifi’s phone plan. Their reflexes are way more sluggish than usual. My bet is that having so many servants is starting to have a drain on the effectiveness of her forces. We just need to act quick.”

“Alright, sounds good to me.”

“On my mark we charge.”

Ladybug kept an eye on both akuma, after they sent a flurry of attack, they would usually have to take a moment to recharge. Bubbler would need to dip his wand back into his bubble pack and Lady wifi would have her hand cramp after sending 10 swipe symbols and would need to pull her hand back.

“Now!”

Chat noir and Ladybug both pounced at the two akuma, moving fast enough that their foes couldn’t retaliate as the heroes swiped the weapons from their respective wielders.

“Sorry to burst your bubble.” Chat noir joked as he snapped the bubble wand.

“And you’ve reached your data limit for the month.” Ladybug chimed in as she crushed Lady Wifi’s phone.

Both akuma began swinging their fists at the heroes, trying to turn the fight into a bare-knuckle brawl. But Ladybug’s assessment was correct, their attacks were too predictable. Ladybug caught Lady Wifi’s fist and flipped her over her shoulder to the ground.

Chat noir ducked under bubbler’s punch and slipped behind him. The cat used his staff to swipe at the feet of the forward moving akuma and knocked him mask first onto the floor.

“Alright, their disarmed. Now what?”

“Move him over here.”

Chat noir picks up the akuma by his bubble pack and throws him over to ladybug like a curling stone.Ladybug uses her yo-yo to tie the two dazed akuma back to back.

“Let’s put them somewhere where they won’t cause any trouble.”

_____________________________________________________________

“Next!” Masquerade called out in annoyance.

She had gotten her akuma servants to capture as many teachers and students as possible. She had the element of surprise and with the amount of akuma she had at her disposal, it was easy to capture several. Though she figured none would escape and cause panic, Timebreaker was guarding the parameter and kept her informed of any people she ‘Tagged��. Horrificator finished sealing all of the exits so no one would be able to come in or out.

She figured there was a good chance for adding more akuma to her rank. The problem was, most of the akuma sucked. She ended up developing a system for them. If they turned out to have no useful ability, she would humiliate them, have reflekta turn her into replicas of herself and then have Princess Frangrance spray the rejects to turn into obedient servants, this way she had something useful out of them. Make them get snacks or whatever. There were multiple uses for mind-controlled students and teachers. So far, she didn’t find a single one worthy of her time.

“I SAID NEXT!” Masquerade shouted louder.

Masquerade sized up the black-haired girl that one of the Reflekta duplicates had pushed forward. She recognized the shy smile from television. She was one of the weather girls on the KIDZ+ network. That was a contest Lila would have KILLED to have been a part of. She mentally told herself she would have won if she had entered.

“Your Mirelle aren’t you?”

“Y-Yes, please don’t hurt me.” She pleaded.

Masquerade rolled her eyes.

“Let’s, see what the deepest parts of your mind hold.”

“Stop!’

Masquerade stopped to turn to the person that shouted.

“Well, well, well, seems we have both weather girls that go to this school.” Masquerade commented. “What a coincidence.”

Masquerade’s eyes went to the honey blonde weather girl. The akuma had to respect the fierce glare the girl was giving her.

“Aurore don’t.” Mirelle tried to plea.

“Fragrance, shut her up.”

The perfume akuma moved from the wall and sprayed the shy weather girl.”

“No!”

Masquerade felt her bracelet glow, indicating that there was an akuma victim present.”

“So, stormy weather, does this rain on your parade?”

“Don’t call me that!” Aurore spat with disgust.

“That loss still bothers you. How the city voted and you were blown out of the water.”

“I know your trying to get under my skin, it won’t work.” Aurore said. “I’ve dealt with Chloé, and she is way meaner.”

Masquerade kept her smile.

“You’re right, that wouldn’t bother me. The comments by everyone else questioning why you are there would. All of those people wondering what the point of that vote was. So now you have to constantly push harder and harder to prove you deserve to be there with Mirelle. It has become your obsession; the way people perceive you. You need to be the perfect weather girl, with the good looks and the good grades. You can’t let anyone begin to doubt your ability.”

Aurore felt her heart shatter at the comment. It was like this akuma had reached into her chest and pulled her heart out. She could see her biggest fear.

“Shut up! I am good enough! You can’t tell me otherwise.”

Masquerade felt a twinge of annoyance, but a sinister idea came into her head. She touched the perfume bottle charm, her colors shifted to match the color scheme of the Perfume akuma.

“Mirelle, tell her what she needs to here.”

The controlled weather girl felt something intrude in her mind, for a brief second, she winced, before turning into a creepy smile.

“Mirelle?”

Aurore felt her skin crawl as she turned to see her coworker and friend staring at her, a creepy smile on her face.

“You aren’t good enough. You were never good enough. You tried so hard to be charming and cute, but the network thinks your redundant. They were going to get rid of you as soon as they could. I hear they are aiming for the end of the month.” She sing-songed.

Aurore dropped to her knees. Her confidence shattered. She broke down, tears streamed down her face. She covered her hands to cry. To hear her say those awful things, was it true? Was she gone? Was all her work for nothing?

Mirelle’s creepy forced smile stayed, but from the corner of her eye, a single tear began streaming down her cheek. Unbeknown to Aurore, Masquerade was using the controlled teen like a ventriloquist dummy.

“Excellent work.”

Masquerade shifted back to her original colors and grabbed a mask from her dress before she flung it right at the depressed weather girl. She took joy in watching it clamp onto her face like an alien face-hugger. There was a brief moment of struggle, but Aurore was no more. Stormy weather had taken her place. Masquerade laughed as a new charm appeared on her bracelet.

“Finally, some better servants. And these powers are no joke.”

Stormy weather raised her umbrella at Masquerade.

“Oh? Are you trying to resist?”

The akuma’s arm was shaking, but then dropped. Her body becoming inactive, like a toy robot with its batteries removed.

“And there goes the last of your resistance. Now go out and find Ladybug and Chat noir. Lady Wifi and Bubbler haven’t returned.”

Stormy weather nodded and headed out of the classroom.

Masquerade noticed the cowering captured students and took a moment to appreciate the power she wielded. Sure, she would have preferred to have been loved by the school, but being feared is a close second.

Her joy was cut short when something pinged into her mind.

Requirements met for new akuma. Confirm merge?

‘Merge?’

Masquerade tried to figure out what that meant. What was merging.

‘The components for the akuma Oblivio are now available, would you like to merge the two akuma to make new akuma?’

“Oblivio? I don’t remember an akuma by that name?” Masquerade said to herself. “Well, if two people are needed to make it and it is making something new, it must be good. Confirm!”

A new charm appears on her bracelet, one in the shape of a question mark.

"Creating Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Oblivio fusion.'

“I wonder what this will bring.”

_____________________________________________________________

Hawkmoth got felt a sudden shift in the mood of his akuma.

"So Lila found a way to merge akuma with multiple different forms into one. And now she is able to create a completely new akuma. Perhaps Ladybug and Chat noir have finally met there match."

The butterfly villain rubbed his hands smugly as he continued observing. Though part of him wondered if Nathalie was able to secure Adrien safely.

_____________________________________________________________

“Okay, these should work.” Chat noir exclaimed as he opened two empty lockers.

Ladybug removed her yo-yo that had tied the two akuma together and shoved the two of them inside each locker before slamming it shut.

“We need something to lock them in for a while.” Ladybug exclaimed as she held the doors closed. The akuma started trying to break free. Moving in any way they could to bust out.

Chat noir looked around, looking for something to shove in front of the lockers.

“Ugh, there is nothing to barricade them with!” Chat noir exclaims.

“Just seal the doors.”

“Right!”

Chat noir put his hand on the lockers where the doors would open, he focused all his strength into his hands and crunched doors by the lock, making it impossible to open in the conventional way.

“That should hold it.” Chat noir exclaimed with relief.

Ladybug slid down the door as resistance finally ceased.

“I think they realized they can’t escape.” Chat noir eased.

Ladybug got up from the floor. They give each other a fist bump on their success.

“Well thankfully that deals with two troublesome akuma. Now we need to get to Lila before we get overrun with them.”

The two heroes quickly leave the locker room.

"By the way, you mentioned earlier I was the second person you wanted to be dancing with. Who is the first?"

Chat noir felt a faint blush on his cheeks.

"How about we talk dances later." Chat noir dodged the question.

Both heroes hurrying down the hall to try and get to Masquerade.

But after they left, the lockers they had left the akumas in started to shake wildly…

_____________________________________________________________

“Heads up!” Viperion exclaimed as he pulled Ryuuko out of the Akuma’s range. The vanishing miracular was a far more difficult opponent then both reptilian heroes were expecting. The akuma vanishes just before Ryuuko could retaliate.

“Every time we lose sight of her, she vanishes and I can’t get a clean hit!” Ryuuko grumbles.

Viperion looks around frantically.

“Yes, but I do believe we have some interesting intel. The akuma seems unable to use both her powers at the same time. She needs to turn visible in order to try and attack us with those Tonfa of hers” The snake hero explains

Ryuuko backs up, looking around to see if she can notice anything that could help her locate the sneaky servant.

“And whatever its other power is seems to involve using those Tonfa. Call it a hunch but we can’t let her use it on us.” Ryuuko discussed her instinctual feeling.

“Guard my back, she can’t sneak up on us if our backs are covered.” Viperion instructs. “Her strategy is very straight forward. We just need to wait for an opening”

“Got it.” Ryuuko says just as she notices something from the corner of her eye. “There you are.”

Ryuuko makes a charge at what appeared to be a wall, but her sword contacted Miracular’s tonfa. Forcing her visible again.

Viperion took noticed of the poor stance that Miracular had while blocking Ryuuko. He wasn’t an expert but even he could see that an unexpected hit would knock her off her feet.

He threw his lyre right at the akuma’s knees and made contact, the force causing her to buckle and Ryuuko disarmed the akuma by parrying her tonfa.

Viperion caught the weapons and broke them over his knee.

“Well that takes care of her weapons.”

Ryuuko noticed the akuma tried to get away but she dove tackled her before she could turn visable.

“Nice work. But what are we going to do to stop her from getting in the way?” Viperion inquired.

Ryuuko band the akuma's face repeatedly against the floor in order to break the mask. Sadly there was not even a scratch on it.

"Well this mask is durable. Might need to lock her somewhere."

The snake hero thought for a moment. he remembered back to a previous akuma attack. Chat noir had put him in a locker to be safe. He still remembered the playful wink the cat gave.

"Any ideas Viper piper?" Ryuuko inquired as she maintained her hold on the akuma.

"Huh? Oh right. Why not take to the locker room and throw her into a locker. She isn't super strong so we could easily just toss her in and lock it. Also, what is with the nickname?"

"I heard that giving people nicknames helps endear people to you."

"Okay, well you can keep trying, but I don't play pipes. What other ones do you have."

"... That was the only one I had... Ill try and come up with more as we go."

"Looking forward to it ... Dra-girl"

Ryuuko paused to look at him as she stood up with the akuma.

"Yea... It felt wrong as soon as I said it. Lets just go."

_____________________________________________________________

Chloé had given most of the akuma she encountered the slip. Not from expert hiding of fighting skill, she simply walked passed them. A normal individual would realize how amazing it was that as long as you don’t freak out, the akuma basically don’t notice. But to Chloé, it felt insulting. Did the akuma seriously believe she was not worth chasing?

“Un-be-lievable.” Chloé huffed. “Most of these akuma would have been chasing me like crazy by now.”

She grumbled to herself as she made it to the front entrance, which she realized had been slimed on.

“EWW, they got that nasty slime monster on their side.”

The mayor’s daughter felt a mix of disgust and annoyance. With this door sealed, she would need to get to one of the other exits, on the other side of the school.

“This would be a really good time for Ladybug to show up and let me be Queen bee.” Chloé stated aloud.

But the area she was in was practically empty.

“Figures.” Chloé sighed. “Why do these gross rejects always have to make things so annoying!”

Unfortunately for her, her complaints did attract some attention from a group of Reflekta copies roaming the halls.

“We order you to come with us!” The three reflektas sang in unison. Chloé didn’t know or care if the original was among them.

“How about no.” Chloé scoffed. She pushed one of them down and walked past them. The other two rushed to her to capture her. But Chloé easily knocked both of the reflektas down easy. The servants were not use to walking in heels. They may be controlled, but Chloé can tell when an amateur walking in gaudy heels from a mile away.

“You 3 need to learn how to walk and a lesson on fashion before you can even THINK of taking me hostage.” Chloé flipped her hair and smugly continued walking, as the three reflektas tried to get up.

Hidden from view, hiding in what appeared to be an abandoned janitor’s cleaning cart, an old man popped his head out slightly.

“Ladybug does need all the help she could get right now…But would she be the right choice?”

_____________________________________________________________ (End of Part 36.)

What other akuma will be joining Masquerade's ranks?

Will Ladybug and Chat noir be able to face the old and new threats?

Will Mayura cause more problems or solve em?

Also, what do you think this new akuma fusion will look like?

I would love to see your takes.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #ml soulmate survey #soulmate survey #ml fic #ml fanfic #miraculous fanfic #ss fic #ml au #slight lukagami #chloé bourgeois #masquerade akuma #fan akuma #drama #action #new akuma #ladynoig #ladybug #chat noir

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theaspieasp · 3 years ago

Text

Leek

(Crossposted on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1181065996-miscellaneous-helluva-boss-x-reader-shorts-leek)

You are a very busy imp.

Knowing everything about everyone worth knowing about means keeping countless tabs on just about everything that happens in Hell. It requires having eyes everywhere—thousands of tiny, invisible cameras hidden in just the right spots, and it requires a secure, self-made network that you can be absolutely certain only you have access to. It requires constant, careful maintenance, double and triple-checking the security of your system, occasionally needing to remotely destroy some of your own hardware and clean up after yourself to remain undetected while saving as much data as you can. It means keeping up-to-date with every new advancement in technology, and requires always being a step ahead of certain powerful entities. It requires you to make powerful allies without ever showing them your face.

Sometimes it means going out into the field and gathering information yourself.

Today is one of those days. According to your sources, someone may know some vital information about one of your more interesting "subjects." A subject that has so far evaded most of your digital techniques for information gathering. A subject that is, unfortunately, too dangerous to get too close to yourself. So you hope you'll be able to persuade this someone who was able to get close to this subject—as well as a few others—and survive to tell you everything they know regarding the subject.

The building is easy enough to find. It's a dark grey office building with horns in a particularly destitute part of Imp City. You look up at the building and see the person you wish to talk to through one of the buildings windows.

Briefly, you consider going in and talking to him face-to-face right away, but you quickly shove the thought away. That would mean showing this man your face. Something you'd rather not do if you don't have to.

Instead, you discreetly take a photo of him with your hellphone and retreat to a small, quiet café a block away, where you order some coffee and toast and sit down in a booth.

Adjusting your glasses, you begin to tap away at your phone, sending a message to the person you hope will become a new source of information.

Hello.

Wgho dhe fukc id thbis?

You elect to ignore his abhorrent spelling so long as it doesn't interfere with your communication.

You may call me Leek. I believe we may each have information that would benefit the other.

He doesn't respond at first. You decide to give him something to bite; you send him a blurry picture of a snakelike imp riding a flaming black hellhorse down a dirt road somewhere in Wrath.

I think you will recognize this man.

So waht?

This past fall, this man made an attempt on the life of Prince Stolas, and he injured two of your employees in the process.

For another minute, he doesn't respond. This time however, you do not not need to coax him out with more bait. When he finally does respond, his tone is more serious, and he drops his misspellings and typos.

How do you know that? And how did you get this number?

You smile, taking a sip of your coffee. You almost have him.

I know a lot of things. Including where this man went after he injured your employees.

Get to the point.

I usually sell the information I gather for money, but in this case, I'm willing to barter. Information for information. I know this man spoke to you before he ran. I want to know what he said to you.

And in return you'll tell me where he went after beating the shit out of us?

Your eyes glint behind your glasses as you respond to him.

I'll tell you EVERYTHING I already know about him.

Or maybe you'd rather know more about the prince who's been harassing you?

Or maybe you'd rather I let out a few dirty secrets about those celebrities you hate so much?

In any case, I'll happily repay you in any way I can.

#Helluva Boss #reader insert #Helluva Boss reader insert #helluva boss x reader #helluva boss blitzo

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dozsu · 3 years ago

Text

Emotions in the Stars

Of Endless Blue — Ch.1

A girl stood at the edge of the Horizon.

Kova was no longer stunned like the first times she had been here. Funny how incredible things like the limits of reality could end up feeling like commonplace after years.

Still, she let the sight amaze and inspire her, she stared to the infinite wall of dark and voidness and let it stare back. Kova would never allow the years to rob her of the wonder she had for the world around her. But work was due, so the wonders of the world had to wait for later.

The results of the beeping and zipping machines let her know exactly what she expected, yet, the confirmation in paper made her chest swole with pride (an emotion that was quickly put aside). The theory said that nothing could exist beyond the horizon, but the Horizon had only been met little more than two centuries ago. And her kind stopped working on theories and experiments after only one century, when it was deemed useless and dissapointing.

She hated those two words, they made her remember awful things (but hate was even more dangerous than pride, so she put it aside as well)

"Useless and Dissapointing"—Kova whispered to the Horizon while checking the machine’s data log—"that would make two of us, but we are to show them different, don't we?"

The readings were foggy to untrained eyes. A deep arcane wavelenght pattern different from that of the universal weave coming from the Horizon, a very dim signal, yes, but one nontheless. That meant... well, Kova didn't know exactly what. It wasn't going to be an immediate breakthrough, nothing with the arcane was. But possibilities were extensive, new arcane techniques could be developed, maybe the ever expanding magitech could find an usage for it, this discovery could be the answer to her displacement theory, maybe even...

Her head started ringing, mind communication spells were really the worst. Specially when the tone in your head wasn't a soft and inviting tune, but the imperative tune that was warning you that "not answering" was the wrong choice.

Kova let the ring go on for a few more moments, saving all the collected data onto her iron necklace, while trying to decide which person would be the most undesirable, sadly, it ended up being the worst.

"Hello misstress, you know you are late in your report, right?"—Her chaperone said with that perky voice of her that was full of untold commentaries

"Violet, we are just at a few hours before mid-cycle, you know that i have never missed a report before last month, and yet, that day i profusely gave my pardons for not being considerate enough to warn the space shark that i could not afford to lose half of my ship."

"Oh mistress, but you see, it isn't about what you can do, it is about what you should be able to do."—Violet let the idea linger, letting it be known once again that she thought the same as everyone else—"Anyway the reason of my early calling is not to revise your recent failures, at least not now. It is about the recent success of your father"

"Did he finally decided to stop wearing those emeralds? They were the most ugly i had ever seen"

"No, he actually wore them splendidfully today, in case you didn't know, today he-"

"He was elected, i know"—Kova interrupted without care.

The news weren't a surprise, her father had made sure to put everyone on his side, but the confirmation made something itch inside Kova.

"Then i shouldn't have to explain the real reason of my message"

"It is clear, in the same way that i shouldn't need to say that my investigation period doesn't end up until next week"

"Yes, though i clearly remember that in your last report you said that you should had been able to get the results you were looking for around this day. So, did you get them?"

"I... Yes, i did, actually, just moments before you called, almost like it was coincidence"—Lying to Violet would be the dumbest thing someone could do, specially if she already had a link to your mind. Still, Kova would let her know that the tracking protocol in her devices didn't passed unnoticed.

"Wonderful, then you are free to get back”

“Eh? Well-”

“The beacon is ready to be activated, your chambers had already been dusted off and the chefs are already preparing your food.”

“Wait!“

“Oh lady Vak, your maids will be so happy to see you again" —And so, Violet cut the connection.

Kova felt the words echo in her mind, she chewed the message, processed the immediacy in which Violet said everything, and then it really hit her. She had to leave. Now.

The usual for an arcanist would be to have week or two for double checking the investigation results to seek for any errors. She expected to have another week. But no, it was never about the investigation. It was about having Kova away, the literal farest away they could . And now that her father had achieved his goal, he could allow his dissapointing daughter near him once again.

Kova didn’t knew if she really had a soul, but for a moment she felt how it slipped out of her body, leaving her cold. But, as if her soul noticed that it was falling away, it came back with force, a lot of force, more than she could handle.

She started growling, exhaling tiny puffs the color of nebulaes and felt her scales appearing. She knew exactly what was happening, it was a fatal flaw she was born with, a curse that most of her kind knew about.

Kova kept exhaling her characteristic fantasy colored breath, as long as it kept looking like that everything would be okay. She just had to rationalize and understand her feelings, that way she could properly get hold of them before they got control on her.

Anger because of her father? Probably.

Annoyance towards Violet? Definetly.

But that wasn’t everything. Those were strong emotions that burnt like flames and stung like wasps, she already knew how to deal with them.

The real problem was the phantom feeling that hid beneath her skin and took control of her breathing and pulse, an emotion that pulled from her, constantly asking what was going to happen, it was similar to simple worry, but Kova knew better, her emotions had been a constant enemy through her life and learned to give them names.

She was... scared, afraid of what her father could do with the highest rank one could reach in the NSC, horrified of going back to what her life used to be, terrified of being right beside the focus of attention. Many emotions she never learned how to control it. So she decided to take the only path that could work, burn the freezing fear.

Kova knew that this day would come, she had been expecting it since her travels started twenty years ago. A week of warning was the only thing she hoped to get. But that’s how things worked around her family. So she decided to comply in act of defiance. She wouldn’t just get back home, she would let everyone know it

Her main tool, as with many of her kind, was her breath. Kova’s breath wasn’t of poisonus gas, as it was expected of her race. Instead, the magic she favored and the years of practice had altered Kova’s breath to something way more useful. And so, she prepared herself breathing many times, letting her true form take place with each drag of air. Scales replaced the skin and clothing, hidden wings protuded from her back, hair becoming a pair of horns and crest, her size and features changing very quickly.

Where a girl stood before, a fifteen feet tall green dragon was facing the tiny spaceship. Kova let her lungs fill once again and kept the drag of air the longest she could, transforming the air inside them into a substance that could warp reality, the only thing that made her remarkable at the eyes of society, and the thing she was going to use to embarass her father.

Many minutes had already passed and she was starting to get dizzy, she had never charged her breath this much. Kova knew she was being pety, that this was all just going to be the childish tantrum of an uncontrolable kid, exactly the thing that everyone accused her off. And that would give her father just another point and example in a future discussion. But she didn’t care, no one knew how horrible it was to be a prisioner of your emotions, having to reprime yourself everytime your heart beated too fast. With all those thoughts in her head, kova was almost starting to feint, and so, she exhaled with the most power she had contained before.

A cloud full of tiny stars and colours that danced between purple, blue and pink filled the space in front of her. Kova let herself veer into the cloud, she had already setted the coordinates of the spell while containing her breath, now she only had to wait and let herself be took by the nebula of magic. Reality got messy when teleportingit required your full attention to do nothing, instants felt like eternities that never happened, movements were infinite and non-existant, and your mind gets full of all the nothings in the world. It was just after moving when you could process it all and it always felt unreal, like you just arrived where you wanted because you were sleepwalking. At least that is how things were suppoused to go

Maybe because of her charged breath, maybe because of her proximity to the Horizon, Kova had a glimpse to the space between realms, she was in a place of dark and voidness, a place that wasn’t suppoused to exist. She could see her entire reality as if from outside, and it was... trapped? Like a marble inside a jar.

Kova couldn’t breath, but most importantly, she couldn’t understand what was happening, and without answers, her mind fade into blackness.

#Of Endless Blue #Fanfic #DnD #Fantasy #Sci Fi #Dragon #original story #oc

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that-one-weeb-but-starwars · 4 years ago

Text

My love| Echo (part 7)

Note: This ones got a lot of small details that add up to one and Its comin along

Warnings: sad echo and shocking information

Reader: Male

Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

"Dad! Dad come on!" Rosyln cheered jumping on the bed.

"Come on dad! It's snowing!"

Echo groaned, "Come on dad!"

Rolling over to his back his little girl jumped into his chest.

"Man you're gettin big." Echo spoke as she smiled.

"Come on! Get up!" She cheered getting off the bed, "Dad's outside already!"

He smiled, sitting up he rubbed his back.

"Okay. Okay." Echo spoke pulling himself out a bed and grabbing a poncho hanging on the end of the bed.

"Yes!" She cheered rushing off, her boots making heavy thuds against the wooden floor as she ran to go meet her father outside.

Pulling on a turtle neck he pulled on the poncho afterwards, still in his sleeping joggers he walked through the house and to the front door.

"Okay Rosyln," he chuckled, walking out of the house and onto the porch, looking around he chuckled, seeing boot prints in the snow.

Following them he snuck around the side of the house, at the corner he heard giggling.

"I got you!" He shouted happily turning the corner but no one was there.

Looking around in confusion his eyebrows knitted togegher.

"Rosyln?" He called out looking around, "Rosyln? Darling? Where are you!?"

"Dad!" She shouted for, fear lacing her voice, "Dad!"

He rushed toward her voice rushing towards the sound of her voice, running around the side of the house he looked for her.

"Rosyln! Rosyln! Where are you!" He shouted, "where are you!"

"Echo! Echo!"

He jolted, Hunter holding his shoulder's, his breath heavy, a face filled with fear and pain.

"Echo! Hey. Hey. Calm down. Calm. Down." Hunter spoke, "it's me. It's Hunter."

"I." Echo started, but couldn't get out any words, "Hunter I."

"Hey. Don't explain it, just. Breathe." Hunter deamanded.

Echo's ragged breath started to slow, Hunter's hands on Echo's shoulders.

"W-when did I fall asleep?" He questioned looking around, the ship still in hyperspace.

"Echo I came in to check on you before I put Omega to bed. You we're staring off into space." Hunter told him, "Echo you need rest."

"No," Echo spoke, "I- Im fine."

Hunter sighed, taking a seat in the co-piolts chair, "You know. I'll never understand what you're go through."

Echo was silent as he rubbed his eyes, "but I do understand wanting to get someone back, when Omega got taken by that bounty hunter... I. I didn't know what I'd do if I didn't get her back."

Echo leaned back in the chair, "I know you lost alot, and you shouldn't have to loose one more."

Echo pulled the small disk out his belt pouches.

"You looked at it?" Echo questioned looking down at the disk, "this?"

Hunter nodded softly, "Y/n's mentioned on it? Yeah?" Echo questioned.

Hunter responded with a second nod, "and...the kids? His brothers and sisters? They must be mentioned on it."

"Yeah,Echo they are." Hunter told.

Echo nodded, sitting back up and leaning over as he looked at the disk he ran between his fingers. Soon handing it to Hunter.

"Echo." He told, "You need to see whats on there."

"No. I just need Y/n." He told Hunted who took the disk softly, "and just a bit more time to think is all."

Hunter nodded, getting up, "Tech, will, uh, switch shifts with you."

Echo nodded as Hunter left him to his own devices.

Hoth was a desolate planet, despite the white which gave it's bright apperance.

The wind rushed passed the cloaked figure as he held onto the hood, the wind dying down as he let go of it.

In the distance as the snow settled stood two figures.

"Norman. Stay here."

The white haired boyed covered by a black thick poncho nodded as the cloaked figured moved forward, the figures meeting him half way.

"Thank you! For coming!" He shouted as the wind roared.

"It is an honor to be fighting with you! My wife, and my second hand! Eleni!" The twilek male spoke.

"It is an honor!" She chattered out, cold as the wind picked up once more.

"Apologizes for the meeting point!" Rosyln apologized, "as You may know! I am Project Rosyln! Follow me!"

They followed the male back to the ship, Norman the young boy had already taken shelter inside.

"Norman, these are the Syundullas, Eleni and Cham." He introduced, the boy in white nodded.

"I am Norman, it's nice to meet you."

The two nodded in response, everyone removing there extra article of chlothing.

"This must be important if one of you're parents sent there children." Eleni spoke, "and such with such a meeting point."

"This...is a different matter. Please. We have much to discuss."

"You may take rest." Tech spoke walking into the cockpit, bur got no response, walking towards the chair Echo was slumped over, sleeping in crossed arms at the edge of the control panel.

Tech let him rest, taking co-piolts chair as he leaned back, datapad in hand as he started looking through what he had copied from the disk. He had figured he would see more resources, more death tolls and ways to die by the new and improved empires hand, and he was right. More imperal codes, new weapons arrays and ways to pass on, most vulgar, violating, dishonorable and disrespectful.

They had already taken people prison, why disrespect them in death as well. The longer he looked- the more confused he became, most files corrupted and named weridly, letters of the basic alphabet. He kept himself up, going through file after file, werid code being written that he couldn't understand or translate, but there was one thing that stood out to him: one time mentioned one time saw: CT in bold the only thing in galatic basic and an attached file of a hand print.

Then it clicked.

Getting up quickly he walked out of the cockpit, rushing to Omega's bunk.

"Omega. Omega!" He tried waking her up.

"What?" She asked waking up, eyes still half closed, "Tech?"

"What is Echo's Friends CT number?"

"What?"

"You know all the CT- numbers by heart don't you?" He questioned.

"Uh. Yeah?" She questioned, "why?"

"Echo's Friends CT number! What is it?" He questioned, "You know the one friend he won't talk about?"

"You mean Fives? Nala Se talked about him once-"

"Fives? Fives what's his name? Why?"

"Well his CT number was CT-5555-" Omega told, "but he died, why?"

"Because it's not by number is by letter! The letters from the files! They spell out a name! Fives must be a key name if Rosyln is Y/n!"

"What?" Omega asked confused.

"But Fives isnt a possible solution- so what does Fives repersent..." Tech thought out loud.

"He made it to Arc Trooper I heard." Omega spoke yawned.

"Arc Trooper?" Tech questioned as Omega nodded, "Has anyone been created to be a higher ranking trooper?"

"Well you know the basic trainning?" Omega questioned sitting up fully.

Tech nodded, "The Kaminonins would add onto that but not genetically, besides clone force 99, not that I know of."

"Not that you know of?"

Omega nodded, "I had top clearance too due to Nala Se. So I seen everything on Kamino."

"Had they ever transported machinery off world? Anything?"

"Yeah a few broken tubes, a long time ago. I found it odd."

"How many?"

"Mhmm...20? Maybe 25?" Omega spoke, "they were odd looking, I assumed they were protoyoes that failed."

"But that doesn't make sense." Tech argued.

"What are you yelling about here in Tech?" Hunter spoke walking back to the two.

"Yeah Im tryin to sleep." Wrecker argued joining them.

"Hunter, these files that have been sent to us have a message incrypted the only possible thing being able to read is CT in basic."

"And?" Hunter argued, "what does that have to with you shouting my ears off?"

"Fives would be someone only Echo knew-"

"Rex would of known him too." Hunter told.

"Yes but Y/n's met us not rex." Tech spoke, "Y/n's met Echo's newest squad mates but not his old ones. As they are separated. They'd be no actual time to interact with them."

"Okay so that's why we went to Zut not Rex." Hunter spoke, "It still doesnt explain why you're shouting over something so simple."

"But listen!" Tech spoke, "Fives has to stand for something, right?"

"Okay but where does fives come in?" Hunter questioned.

"This hand print." Tech spoke, "the hand print is obvioisly gloved and is the size of a regs hand. Something Echo had gotten standing next to Fives, further explaining why Fives is an important person in finding Y/n. Not to mention Echo's the only one who knew Roslyn and Fives well."

"Okay so mentioning Fives does what now exactly. Echo can't understand this! Wrecker couldn't even scribble this!" Hunter argued, "its basically pictures and scribbles."

"Hey!" Wrecker argued as Hunter snatched the data pad showing it to Wrecker to prove his point.

"Hey I've seen this before!" Wrecker spoke.

"Excuse me?"

Wrecker nodded handing off the datapad to Omega, "Echo has markings like that on his blasters."

"Wait, so Echo know's what this is?" Hunter asked.

Wrecker shrugged, "I guess? Hey! Maybe it's like me and Omega's secret code!"

"Oh yeah!" Omega cheered.

"Secret code?" Tech questioned, "that's it! It makes sense! The reason Fives and Rosyln is important! The way it's written like this! Echo's been right this whole time!"

"But that still doesnt explain the Kaminonin tubes." Omega spoke, "Unless there are Kaminonin files."

"Just a few medical documents, nothing we don't know." Tech informed

"Wait. Why would Y/n have a hold of Kaminonin medical document's, he's never seen battle he doesnt need strong medical trainning." Hunter questioned.

"So what? Y/n was like an enchanted clone?" Wrecker laughed, "Good one Tech."

The group looked back at Wrecker.

"What?" He asked, "Oh come on. Y/n looks nothing like us! We don't even have the same eye color!"

"What happens if Y/n's not a clone of Jango Fett. Yet of someone else?" Tech questioned.

"Hey." Omega questioned looking down at the data pad, "I found one combination to those letters Tech. What's Project Star Killer?"

#star wars #the bad batch #star wars: the bad batch #sw: tbb #sw x male reader #tbb x male reader #echo x male reader #x male reader #bad batch echo #the bad batch echo #tcw echo #star wars echo #echo tbb #echo the bad batch #echo #x male read #male reader insert #male readers need more fanfic tbh

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moonflower-31 · 5 years ago

Text

I Won't Forget You - Spencer Reid x Reader

(This is gonna be a series, so keep an eye out for this one if you like it.)

Summary: So imagine you're in the CM universe if you will. And you're just graduating from the academy. You're looking to join the BAU. You have hyperthymesia, the ability to never forget anything. Except for rare occasions. After the final exam, you run into one Dr. Spencer Reid. Eventually, you get accepted to shadow the BAU on a trial run as an agent. But you have a past that may endanger those you work with. Also, you love Spencer. Cause who doesn't?

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female Reader (this makes sense only for storyline, sorry 😞)

Masterlist

Please leave comments! I love reading them ❤ 💕

~~~~~~~~

Nervous. So dreadfully nervous you were and am. But here we are. No turning back now.

"Hello, cadets. And welcome to your final exam for your graduation. We hope all of you do well. The FBI, as you know, has many branches. 56, to be exact. We hope that for those of you who pass, that you'll find your calling in one of our offices. For those of you who don't, don't fret. We always allow you to retake the last semester and the exams. The FBI is in desperate need of new agents." The speaker in front of me is seriously loud. Though you don't dare speak up about it.

Associate Deputy Director Gail Franklin spoke with such elegance. She obviously has had practice, you think to yourself as you watch the grey-haired woman speak atop the raised portion of the testing room. You couldn't count how many people even if you tried. And you don't forget anything.

"Psst!"

You groan quietly and try to ignore your idiot but golden-hearted friend who couldn't sit still.

"Psst! (Y/N)!"

You ignore him again, focusing on Franklin's closing commentary.

"I wish you all good luck. Please refrain from beginning your exam until all test-takers have received their tests. Thank you." She then proceeded to turn and begin her trek out of the room, the click of her heels being the only reminder she was even here.

"Psst-! Come on, (Y/N/N)!"

You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. Finally, you turn your head and give your dear friend a very annoyed look. "What is it, Gabe? Like seriously, you couldn't sit still through one teansy tiny lecture? From the ADD herself?" You tease, pulling out a #2 pencil from your bag. Sure, most everyone will be using pens, but you remembered that the test scanners prefered graphite.

Gabriel whined teasingly at your jap. "No fair, (Y/N/N)! I just wanted to talk to one of my best friends. That too much to ask?" He sassily remarks, flipping his floppy golden-brown hair.

You rolled your eyes and couldn't help but feel a smile form on your face. You loved him like a brother. But that also meant he annoyed you like one too.

"You couldn't have waited till she was done?" You couldn't help but question him further. It was one of his weaker points. Under pressure, he tended to get uncomfortable.

"Nope." Popping the 'p' he blew a kiss at you. "Anyway, how prepared do you think you are for this test? I almost made it an all-nighter trying to cram everything in again. Fuck me and my terrible memory." You grinned and giggled under your hand.

"Gabriel, I told you, if you ever needed help studying I would be there. You're gonna do fine."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You didn't even have to study with that god-given gift of a memory you got."

You bite the inside of your cheek, faking a slight chuckle. Everyone thought remembering everything was a superpower. Sure, if you call superpowered headaches and occasional dizzy spells a super-side-effect.

So, yes, you had the 'gift' of having hyperthymesia. The disorder where you never forgot anything. Of course, there were a few rare occasions, like you could only remember a handful of memories from before you were four. But other than that, you had nothing from your earliest childhood. It made you feel semi-normal.

"It isn't a gift, Gabe. It's only a gift in the academic field. And I'm lucky to have a 'genius' IQ." You huffed in response to Gabriel's little comment.

"Yeah yeah, but you have a filing cabinet for a memory. So why study? You have it all up there." He asks, taking the test packet from the assistant that had finally made it to him.

"Studying, as a science, is a great way to improve your memory, quicken your speed of processing data and important information, and you stretch your mind's capacity for learning. Also it helps me understand a topic better. Just like anyone else."

You take the packet from the assistant and widen your eyes slightly at the size. It was massive. At least the size of your tiniest textbook. You could almost hear Gabriel whimper next to you as he saw how big the packet was. At least you all had three and a half hours. And it wasn't required to get through all of them. Just try to do your best on the written response ones.

You turn to Gabriel and hold out your fist. "Good luck."

Gabriel sighed and gave you a smile before pumping his fist gently against yours. Soon after he made a dramatic explosion noise that only you could hear. You roll your eyes and shake your head again, turning your full attention finally to the large test in front of you.

Here goes nothing, you tell yourself.

○●♡●○

Remarkably, you think you did okay. Of course, you finished the test in the first hour and a half, but who's counting? Certainly not you.

You rub your aching wrists from so much essay work as you exit the testing room. Even with an unbeatable memory like yours, your hands were still human. So they hurt like a bitch.

You sigh and take a quick seat on the bench outside the room, probably sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd of other cadets who weren't in your graduating class. But you tried not to pay it any mind. You were used to being the 'odd man out'.

You check your phone and smile down at the message your other friend, Iris, had sent you. She wasn't testing for the FBI like you and Gabe. No she was a barista with some mean skills at mixing new drinks. She wanted to open her own cafe and Gabriel and you wanted to support her. She'd been there for you every second of the last five years. You owed her at least a little thanks.

When you look up, you couldn't help but notice a tall, lanky looking man with long, curly hair walking towards you as he looked for…something. You couldn't tell. Probably a map. He had a gun holstered on the side of his belt along with a blurry ID you couldn't read from so far away. But it looked like it said FBI.

You stifled a soft snicker. This guy could say he was a teacher's assistant and if he didn't have the gun on him, you would've believed him.

And that's when you caught his eye and instantly you recognized who this lost puppy was. More specifically, who he belonged to.

"Hi, uh I'm Dr. Spe-" he began, looking a bit nervous as he began to introduce himself.

"Dr. Spencer Reid. From the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I've heard of you." You accidentally interrupt. "Sorry. I don't forget names easily. I don't forget them ever, really."

Nervously, you rub your hand on your neck, waiting for his response. And surprisingly, it wasn't one you expected.

Spencer widened his eyes a bit in wonder that someone knew of him that he hadn't met before on a case. And she knew which branch he worked in. He blushed a bit, growing a tad tongue tied.

"S-sorry, I'm Cadet (L/N)."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. He wondered why you didn't give him your first name. But he didn't pry. It was your personal business. And besides, it wasn't like he needed to know your first name.

"U-uh yeah, actually. I-I wanted to ask you if you knew where I could get a glimpse of a map. Just so I can find my way around. I'm here for a 'lecture' that I'm helping give the graduating class of FBI agents." He couldn't help but brag a tiny bit. "It doesn't start for another 3 hours, but I like to be prepared."

You smiled up at this tall nerd. And an incredibly cute one at that. He was so out of place you sympathized with him. He was basically you. In like, every academic scene you've ever been in.

"Understandable. I'll be seeing you there hopefully. I'm a part of that class." You grinned. "But yeah, here's the map," you say, pulling up a digital map on your phone. Spencer leaned over your shoulder and looked it over. You couldn't help but shiver slightly at the sound of his breathing so close to your ear. It felt eerily calming.

"Really?" He asked after he pulled away from your shoulder. "T-thank you for the map, by the way." He adds last-minute. You giggle gently and nod.

"Yep. The test only started an hour and about 45 minutes ago, so I gotta wait a little while." Groaning playfully you shrug at him, crossing your arms to get more comfortable. You wouldn't lie, he was seriously cute. Of course, you'd seen him before on your secret internet dives. But in-person was so much better than sitting behind a screen gawking over a photo. An ID photo no less.

"You already finished?"

There it was. The immediate doubt of your intelligence everyone had when you accidentally showed your smarts. You sighed. "Yeah. Kinda hard not to with an IQ of 167 and a memory that pretty much never fails." You shrugged nervously, looking away as you braced yourself for his incoming doubt.

"Oh. Hyperthymesia, right?" He inquires. You blink a few times and look at him like he just said something so foreign you didn't know how to respond.

"U-uh...y-yeah. It's rare, but I got it. How'd you know?"

"It was more of an educated guess. See, you bite the inside of your cheek when you're nervous," he points out. You in fact, were biting your cheek as he spoke. "And you seem unintimidated by me despite knowing of my position. You only grew nervous when I mentioned anything academic. Which proves to me you're used to being the smartest kid in the room. And having to explain why every time." He finishes, leaving you a gigantic puddle of impressed and embarrassed that he had profiled all of that from only a few minutes from conversation.

"Geez, didn't expect to get profiled today. You're really good at it, you know. Well, I mean you would be. 'Cause you w-work for the BAU." You begin to ramble, groaning internally for suddenly turning into an awkward blob in front of this professional.

Spencer smiled a bit wider and let out a soft laugh. "So, y-you want to work for the BAU?"

You look at him puzzled for a moment before you remember that he'd been profiling you for the past five or so minutes. "Right, profiler…" you mutter. "Y-yeah. It's kinda been a dream of mine for years. Police officer never really appealed to me. I wanted to get into the real deal. Catch the hard criminals. Give myself a challenge, you know?" You rattle off, realizing just how comfortable you'd grown to Spencer in the short conversation you've had.

Spencer nodded. "It was always a dream of mine as well. I was kinda groomed for it." He admitted. "S-so… any jitters at all? Did you know that t-the common feeling of nervousness or 'butterflies' is actually caused by the reduced blood flow to the abdomen. Your stomach's sensory nerves sense the lack of oxygen and blood and it produces the fluttery feeling you get before a test or before a big performance."

You smile brighter. "Really? I never thought of that. I always just thought it was a signal your brain sent or something. That's interesting. I'm kinda glad I won't forget that."

Spencer felt his surprise increase again. You hadn't cut him off. There was no 'Sorry I asked' or awkward asking if he always did this. You actually listened. And you wanted to hear more! He didn't think he'd ever find someone willing to listen.

"H-heh…" Spencer chuckled. "W-well did you know that most people will forget 50 percent of the information you've been taught in one hour will be forgotten? A-and in 24 hours more than 75% of the information is gone. That's why studying is so important. It helps retain that information so it doesn't 'slip' as easily." He begins to rattle off again, quite glad he found someone who actually wanted to hear his statistics. It was a good cover for his nervousness about talking to this incredibly gorgeous woman.

You tilt your head in interest, laughing gently. "That's what I keep saying! Yet everyone always asks 'Why study if you remember everything?'" You exclaim, making a whiny voice expression for the impression of absolutely every bully you'd had ever.

A darker skinned man, who was much more gifted physically walked over as you and Spencer continued your conversation. He wrapped an arm around Spencer teasingly and nodded to you.

"Hope this pretty boy ain't bothering you baby girl." He greets. "He's great once you get to know him."

Spencer just looks annoyed at this man's sudden presence. "Seriously, Morgan? We were actually having a conversation before you butted in." He grumbled annoyedly. Then you remember the face. This was SSA Derek Morgan. You'd seen him in some pictures with Spencer. He wasn't too bad looking. In fact, you knew Iris would climb him faster than a squirrel did a tree. But Spencer was a bit more your type.

Morgan raised an eyebrow and smirked at you. "Oh really? So now pretty boy's talking to girls?" He teases, letting Spencer free from his suffocating hold. He then extends a hand out to me. "Derek-" he started.

"Derek Morgan. SSA from the BAU. Yeah, I know about you." You grinned. He looked you up and down a bit in the same interest that Spencer had. That soon was replaced by a confident smile.

"So you know of me." He said in a clearly flirtatious tone. "Don't tell me you've been searching up my pictures in your freetime, babygirl." He flirts.

You roll your eyes and take his hand, shaking it firmly. "No, I haven't. Though I have heard of you from my classes. But if I'm honest?" You begin. "I'm really wishing I could forget that comment." You sassily respond. He laughed.

"No one ever forgets, Babygirl." He grinned.

Spencer sighed and turned to Morgan in annoyance. "Morgan." He deadpanned. You looked towards him and giggled a little. It was clear Spencer had wanted to talk to only you. Maybe it was something to do with the statistics. You had a feeling that he felt he was finally being listened to.

"What? I'm just introducing myself to one of the new cadets." He insists, raising two hands up in defeat.

"Did you just profile me without my permission?" You ask him with fake offense. He laughed.

"Did I need to ask, sweetheart?" He asks. You chuckle.

"Guess not." You shrug.

"What's your name, beautiful? A pretty face has got to have a pretty name." He flirted.

"I'm Cadet (L/N)."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, fully ready to ask why the hold-up on your first name when Spencer thankfully saved you an explanation.

"She didn't share it with me either. Probably a mode of trust." He explains. Morgan shrugged.

"I'll find out eventually. You'll give it away." He insists.

"Uh huh, sure I will." You tease.

"Reid, Morgan, we need to prepare." You hear a third voice call the two men away from you. You stand a bit on your tiptoes to get a good look at who it was that was speaking.

Aaron Hotchner walked towards the three of you almost with a purpose. So much confidence in one man.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"I'm Cadet (L/N), Agent Hotchner. It's a pleasure to meet you." You greet, holding out a hand to him. Hotch raised an eyebrow at you in interest before shaking your hand in earnest.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard of your excellent grades and work in your studies. I hope to see you among the enlistees requesting the BAU." He greets, letting his hand fall back to his side.

"That's the plan, Agent Hotchner." You chip pleasantly. Morgan seems genuinely surprised.

"Wait, you're interested in the BAU? Profile me." He insisted. You blush from the sudden spotlight.

"W-what?" You ask.

"Morgan, that's enough." Hotch warns.

"Leave her alone, Morgan." Spencer expressed.

"No, it's fine." You assure. "Well, from the looks of your attire compared to your colleagues, I'd say you hate wearing formal clothing. Prefer to be comfortable. Your consistent flirty personality is mostly a show, as you wouldn't really flirt with someone you just met the way you flirted with me. So you either have someone in mind, or have a partner at home. And besides that, the way you greeted Dr. Reid proves you think of him as a younger brother, and you treat him like the brother you never had." You finished, a pleading voice in the back of your head screaming at you in hopes that you hadn't gone too far.

Instead of being offended, Morgan began to smile and grinned, clearly impressed. "She's actually pretty good." He comments to Hotch, glancing to Spencer and then back to you. "You'd make a good profiler." He compliments. You smile happily and full of relief at him.

"I sure hope so. Anyway, you should probably get going to the auditorium. The mics are a pain to tune and figure out, so I'd get it done now." You giggle slightly.

Spencer nodded and smiled at you. "T-thank you, again. Cadet (L/N)."

You couldn't help but blush a tad as he said your title. "Of course, Dr. Reid. Anytime you need directions." You tease.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "What about me?" He teased back. You mock think about it for a moment before you reply.

"Sorry, I think you can figure it out, pretty boy." You joke, winking at him. He smiled brightly at your sass, chuckling a bit.

Hotch then got your attention very easily. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, (L/N)."

"You too. Good luck on the lecture." You bid them all fair well and turn around to take your seat again.

"Ooh, somebody's in looove~!" You hear Gabriel sing in a sing-song voice. You chuckle and shake your head.

"I am not in love, Gabriel. You just started eying the pretty boy I was talking to. You know, handsome black guy?" You tease.

"Hmm, yeah, probably. But seriously. I saw you looking at that other kid, the professor's-aide-looking guy, like he was a mountain of sugar. And I know sugar." He teased, sipping a coke he had obviously bought after the test.

"Oh shut up. Have you heard from Iris yet?" You ask.

"Nope. She's probably busy over at The Bean. We should go visit. Tell her about your rendezvous with Mr. Teacher's aid." Gabriel snickered.

"No, we are not telling Iris anything. You know how she gets. She gets all protective, and then nobody wants to go out with me cause they're all scared of her." You groan, stealing his coke for a moment.

Gabriel smirks at you. "So you admit that you like him?" He teases. You immediately realize your mistake and groan, covering your reddening face.

Gabriel chuckled and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "Come on, sugar-tits. Let's get out of here for a lil' bit. Come back for that 'lecture' in like an hour." He teased. You bring your hands away from your face and sigh.

Did you really like him? Maybe. It was probably just an internet crush. Nothing more. It wasn't like it could get worse.

#spencer reid x you #spencer reid x reader fic #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid #criminal minds family #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fandom #criminal minds

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whelvenwings · 5 years ago

Photo

3k, College AU. In which Dean attempts to scam Castiel over text, with... mixed results.

read here on AO3 if you prefer!

Castiel sat in his apartment, scrolling listlessly through his phone. He’d tried to stop doing this recently. The hours he flipped down the wishing well of his Instagram feed just weren’t rewarding him with the perfect life he wished for, and at a certain point it was time to stop making the wishes. But even though he’d put his social media apps in a folder marked Don’t Do It, and even though he knew he didn’t want to melt through his days like this – slumped on his sofa with phone in hand – he ended up doing it anyway.

He stared briefly at a picture of a dog. Then someone’s baked goods. Then someone else’s throwback picture to their time in Greece.

None of it was particularly exciting, but he couldn’t seem to will himself away.

Inside him, a little voice was saying, you know, you could be doing something that you actually enjoy right now, like going for a run or reading a book or watching a TV show or, and I mean heaven forbid, but you could possibly start doing that paper? You know, like, work?

Castiel scrolled some more. The voice in his mind was very loud but outwardly, he was just sitting in his living room, eyes fixed quietly on his screen.

Move! said the little voice. You can’t just sit here forever! What are you doing? Your minutes on Earth are slipping out from under you while you do things you don’t even like!

With a little sniff, Castiel kept going. It was like his thumb had a mind of its own, traversing his Instagram like a lone journeyman, while the sky-gods above in Castiel’s mind begged it to stop.

A white box unfurled from the top of Castiel’s screen.

He blinked. A notification – a text. He tried to pull down the notif to read what the text said, but he accidentally closed it instead. Treacherous little journeyman thumb, he thought. Maybe if it spent less time overexerting itself on social media scrolling, it’d be able to open a text message.

A text message. Weird. No one texted him anymore, not really – all his friends used WhatsApp, and his professors only ever contacted him via email. To just get a plain old text was unusual. He flipped over to his texting app and opened it.

>> Your phone is now hacked so do exactly what I say and I’ll remove the hack. If you don’t I’ll destroy all your phone data. If you try to block me or report this I’ll destroy all the data instantly send your home address or I’ll hack you and share everything

When he started reading the message, Castiel felt a cold clutch of worry grip his stomach. His phone was hacked? How was that even possible? He ran anti-virus and anti-malware apps all the time, even though they slowed down his phone. He took care not to visit any sites that looked suspicious. How could –

He read it again, and then frowned, and sent a message back.

<< I have to send the address or you’ll hack me? I thought you already hacked me?

There was a pause. Castiel could feel his heart beating a little fast. His phone was supposed to be a safe island that no one could get into, his own private space; having someone text him that they were inside it, had hacked it, felt like having someone in his bedroom rooting through his things.

After thirty seconds, the text came back.

>> Yeah I’ve definitely hacked it so send the address or I’ll destroy your data and share it

Castiel squinted. He typed back,

<< How are you going to share the data if you destroyed it?

Another pause, and then –

>> I’ll share it first

With a more suspicious expression on his face than ever, Castiel responded,

<< What phone do I have? What OS?

>> You have thirty seconds to send the address or I’m going to share the data

<< You didn’t answer my question.

>> I don’t have to

Castiel actually had a small smile forming on his face as the last text came in. The person on the other end of the phone clearly had no idea what they were doing. He wasn’t sure if this was just a prank from one of his friends, or if it was a genuine attempt to scam him, but it definitely wasn’t an actual hacker.

With that same little smile on his face, Castiel typed out,

<< It’s been more than thirty seconds.

>> Yeah and I have your data now so I’m gonna share it

It was almost endearing, Castiel thought.

<< You really didn’t plan ahead for if someone actually questioned you, did you?

>> Yeah I am prepared. I’m gonna destroy everything on your phone

As Castiel considered how to reply – and if he even should, or if it was better to leave the supposed hacker to their own devices – he felt his stomach growl. Lost in the endless scroll of his Instagram feed, he’d completely forgotten to eat for most of the day. The texts from this person had finally broken the spell.

<< Alright. Enjoy yourself. I’m going to go and get some food.

>> Copying all the content now

Of course you are, Castiel thought. Of course. He wandered through to his kitchen and started browsing through his shelves. He had rice – plenty of rice, and also a bottle of soy sauce that was going out of date, and a slightly withered onion. In the fridge he found a few more limp-looking vegetables that needed eating up before he next went shopping.

Ten minutes later found him watching a pot bubbling to cook his rice, with a frying pan sizzling beside it.

When he picked up his phone, the hacker hadn’t responded. Castiel took a screenshot of their conversation, and then flipped over to WhatsApp. Opening the groupchat he had with his friends, he sent the screenshot.

I’m getting hacked, he wrote, and then put a terrified emoji. Charlie responded immediately with four cry-laughing emojis, and a few others sent some gifs. Castiel watched along the top to see someone typing a response – a number he didn’t have saved to his phone.

Sounds pretty scary you should probably send it, said the person. Castiel checked the name in grey next to their number, the one WhatsApp displayed automatically. Dean Winchester.

Dean Winchester? Castiel felt a little flip in his stomach. He’d been hoping to get to chat to Dean for months, now – they’d shared a class last semester but somehow had never got to talking, just traded looks across the room. Castiel had thought he’d lost his chance when the semester had ended and their shared class had been over – but then Charlie had added Dean into the chat at the start of the new year, introducing him as someone she’d met in one of her computing classes. Dean had been quiet so far, though, just lurking and reading messages.

Now, for the first time, Dean had actually said something to him.

And it was something ridiculous. Dean wasn’t actually taking this seriously, was he? Those computing classes couldn’t be focusing in on hacking as a topic, if he was this clueless.

Castiel didn’t want to leave Dean hanging without a reply, but he also didn’t want to embarrass him by laughing at the idea of the hack being scary. Instead, he switched over to his texting app again. Maybe if he got more evidence that the “hacker” had no idea what they were doing, then Dean would realise on his own that it wasn’t anything to worry about.

He thought for a second, and then sent,

<< How’s it going? It can’t take that long to steal all my data. I only have like 4 pictures on my phone and they’re all accidental selfies.

>> I’m getting all your credit card details you should definitely just send the address

<< Isn’t my address in the same place in my phone where you found my credit card details?

A pause, and then –

>> Yeah it is but you should tell me anyway

Castiel pressed his lips together to repress a laugh, and took another screenshot, and sent it to the groupchat.

I think I’ll be okay, he said. Dean started typing again immediately, while emojis rolled in from the rest of the people in the chat.

Dean said,

I don’t know dude seems legit to me

Charlie sent a message that said,

Dean… are you reading the same thing I’m reading?

Castiel was glad that Charlie was the one questioning him, because someone had to. Surely Dean was just kidding around, though. There was no way he really thought that this terrifying “hacker” represented a serious threat.

Dean was typing again. Castiel stirred his vegetables in the frying pan.

I had a friend who got the same message, Dean said, and he didn’t send his address and the hacker totally ruined his life so you should probably just send it

The message sat there in the WhatsApp groupchat, and was met with silence. Castiel read over it, shook his head – and then he noticed his rice was definitely cooked, and went to drain the water away in the sink before it went mushy in the pot. A frown was growing on his face as he did so. When he was done, he stirred his vegetables some more and then came back and read the message again.

His eyes narrowed.

He switched to his texting app, and read over the texts the hacker had sent him. And then went back to WhatsApp, and read Dean’s message.

The style was undeniably similar.

Was Dean pranking him? Probably not, right? Why would he? But then again, Dean was trying to convince him that the hack was real over WhatsApp in a way that was stylistically similar and just as unconvincing as the hacker themself over text… Castiel wasn’t sure what to make of that. Attention from Dean would feel kind of good, but given that the attention he was possibly getting was some kind of attempt to scam him out of his personal details, the good feeling was definitely not boundless.

After some thought, Castiel turned down the heat under his frying pan, tapped through his phone, and hit Call.

Bzz, bzz. The dial tone hummed in Castiel’s ear. He found that his heartbeat was actually pounding a little hard.

Bzz, bzz. Maybe this was a bad idea. Probably he should just hang up, and try messaging instead –

“Hello?”

Castiel went still as someone picked up. Their voice was comically low and growling, as though the person who’d answered was putting on a voice.

“Hello,” Castiel said.

“This is the hacker. Tell me your address.”

Castiel pressed his lips together, very hard, so he wouldn’t laugh.

“I said, tell me the address.”

“Um,” Castiel said. “No, thank you. Dean, what are you doing?”

There was a pause, and some kind of hurried rustling on the phone, and then the voice said,

“Dean? Who’s Dean? I don’t know anyone with that name. Just send over the address and your data won’t be shared and destroyed.”

“Dean,” Castiel said, “I called you on WhatsApp. I know this is you.”

The silence, this time, was significantly more protracted. For a few seconds, Castiel thought that Dean was actually gone, or that maybe the line had gone dead. Instead, after an incredibly pregnant pause, Dean said in his normal voice,

“Fuck.”

“Can I… ask you what’s going on?”

“Uh…” Dean hesitated. “Shit. Oh, god. Okay. Look, man, uh, buddy, I’m – I’m really sorry if I freaked you out with the whole scam thing –”

“I wasn’t freaked out,” Castiel said, trying not to sound too much as though he was enjoying himself. It felt good to hear Dean’s voice down the phone. Dean Winchester, the most handsome guy in Spanish 101, was actually on the end of the phone. They were actually talking. Under circumstances that made no sense, obviously, but still.

“Right… right. I just – I’m sorry, it was this idea I had and I thought I could just…”

He broke off. Something about the tone of his voice took the silliness and hilarity out of the situation, and Castiel’s slight smile dropped to be replaced by a little frown of concern.

“Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need a place to come to?”

“No, no, nothin’ like that. Oh my god, this is the worst.”

“Dean… is something wrong? If you need my address… you know you could have messaged me and just asked for it?”

Dean groaned.

“I don’t… I mean, yeah, but like, no,” Dean said. “Look, I’m just gonna go. I’m sorry for… whatever the hell this was, and –”

“Wait,” Castiel said, “wait, don’t go. You can’t try to scam me for my address and then not give me any answers, I…”

“Sorry,” Dean said, and then hung up.

Castiel took his phone away from his ear. There had been something so wretched and barely-concealed in Dean’s tone that Castiel himself was upset, his stomach twisting. He looked down at his phone screen.

After a long minute of thought, Castiel went to his texting app and opened the text chain with the “hacker”.

<< 401 Lazarus Rise SW, Apartment 67

He considered the text for a long moment, and then sent it. Dean didn’t text back.

But two days later, there was a knock at his front door. Castiel, sitting at his desk and reluctantly typing out some words on his paper, frowned and looked over at the clock as though its face calmly showing 5pm would give him some kind of answer about who was outside. Receiving no wisdom from it, he decided to go and see for himself.

Opening the door, he saw a delivery person wearing a big smile and carrying a bunch of flowers.

“Here you go!” they said, handed him the flowers smartly, and then marched off down the hallway. Castiel stared after them, wondering how they’d even managed to get inside the building without being buzzed in. Probably Mrs Tran down the hall leaving the door open again, so that her son could get in even though her buzzer was broken.

Castiel stood in the doorway of his apartment, holding onto the bunch of flowers. It was a simple enough arrangement – just twelve red roses, nestled in brown paper. When the delivery person was gone, Castiel blinked and looked down at them. Surely these had to be for someone else in the building – he could just check the label and try to figure out who.

The label was a piece of brown card tied to the roses with string. In a messy scrawl, Castiel read,

Hey sorry again about what happened hopefully these make up for it. Never really tried to do anything about liking a guy before so don’t know what I’m doing. Didn’t know if you’d find flowers embarrassing so tried to get your address and send them anonymously but I guess that plan sucked ass huh? Don’t feel like you gotta say anything just wanted to apologize. Dean

Castiel’s eyes went wide and soft. He read the message through one more time and then once more after that, and then tilted the roses up to look at them, and then read the message again, and then smelled the flowers. He leaned back against his doorframe. He could feel his heart just about ready to burst out of his chest.

He went into his apartment, feeling as though he were walking on marshmallows. His legs were fuzzy with his happiness. Finding his phone, he pulled up WhatsApp.

Bzz, bzz.

Bzz –

“Hello?”

“Hello, Dean.” Castiel still had the roses in one hand. He looked down at them again, and closed his eyes because the happiness was just a little too much for a half-second.

“Uh.” He heard Dean swallow. “I did put the part where you didn’t have to say anything to me, right?”

“I know. But I wanted to thank you.”

“Uhhh.” Dean sounded floored. “Okay. Well, you’re… welcome?”

“And I wanted to ask you for something.”

“Oh. Okay?”

Castiel smiled.

“Your address,” he said.

––

The next night, Castiel stood outside the door of a slightly shabby-looking apartment, and knocked.

After less than three seconds, it was opened. Framed in the doorway stood Dean Winchester, wearing a nervous smile and nicer clothes than Castiel had ever seen him wear before to class.

Castiel breathed out.

“Hey,” Dean said. His hands looked awkward and clumsy, and Castiel’s heart was full enough looking at the confused shy man in front of him that he couldn’t stop himself – he reached out and took one of them. And it wasn’t supposed to happen this way, it was all in the wrong order, they were meant to go out for dinner and then Castiel would drop Dean back at his apartment and walk him to the door and then they were supposed to do this – but somehow Dean was close, and Castiel was leaning in a little closer still, and then their lips met.

Dean kissed so gently.

When Castiel pulled away, he saw the colour flowering inDean’s lightly stubbled cheeks.

“Uh,” Dean said gruffly. “Uh, good, okay. Yeah. Good.”

“Good?”

“Good,” Dean confirmed. “Good.”

“Good,” Castiel said.

For a second, they stared at each other. And then, moving at the same time, they both leaned in again – not so gentle, now.

They didn’t make their dinner reservation.

“We should call and tell them we’re not coming,” Castiel said at one point.

“They’ll be okay.”

“We should tell them,” Castiel insisted, giving Dean a little dig in the ribs. “It’s rude not to.”

“What, you think the cops will come for us if we don’t?”

“They’re already coming for you anyway,” Castiel said. “This has all been a ruse to catch the biggest scammer in town.”

Dean dropped his head onto Castiel’s shoulder, and laughed.

“Never gonna live that one down?”

“Never,” said Castiel, and kissed him again.

#whelvenwingsfic #destiel #deancas #destiel fic #thebloggerbloggerfun #with my new and very tenuous digital drawing skillz #I made the banner with the phone on it!#I'm so oddly proud of it #I'm sure there are 10000 mistakes but hey they're my mistakes in a art what I did??#I did an art!#anyway #here endeth the three-day downpour of fics from me #lots more in the works though!

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russellacali · 5 years ago

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What is Empowerment Technologies?

This blog, Empowerment Technologies, is an insight into what I have learned on our lessons about Empowerment Technologies: ICT for Professional Tracks, for 11th grade, under the teaching of Miss Shaira Denise Dela Cruz. The goal of this blog is to promote ICT and give you some insight into ICT

The first lesson that was discussed was, what is ICT? ICT is the abbreviation for Information and Communication Technologies. It refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications such as mobile phones, wireless networks, telephones, and other communication mediums. The current state of ICT is WWW or World Wide Web.

The World Wide Web(WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system where documents and other web resources are identified by Uniform Resource Locators, which may be interlinked by hypertext, and are accessible over the Internet. It has three versions which are Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0. Web 1.0 is the first version and most web pages were static or “read-only web.”

The second and most used is Web 2.0, which allows users to interact and contribute with the page instead of just reading a page, the users are able to create a user account. Web 2.0 offers us five features: Folksonomy, Rich User Experience, Long Tail, User Participation, and software as a service.

The last is Web 3.0. Its aim is to have machines understand the user’s preference to be able to deliver web content specifically targeting the user. Web 3.0 hasn’t released yet as it still has some problems. Those problems are compatibility, security, vastness, vagueness, and logic.

Moving on to the next lesson which is all about ‘Online Saftey, security, ethics, and etiquette.’

The Internet consists of tens of thousands of interconnected networks run by service providers, individual companies, universities, and governments. It is defined as an information highway, which means anyone can access any information through the internet. That is why the internet is one of the most dangerous places, the reason why it is important how to keep yourself and your personal information safe. Some of the information that is in rick when spoiled on the internet are names of your immediate family, address, phone or home number, birthday, email address, your full name, and your previous and current school. It is important to keep this information top secret as cyber-creeps can use these to find you.

To keep yourself safe:

Be mindful of what you share online.

Do not just accept terms and conditions, read it.

Keep your passwords to yourself, and make sure your password is long, strong, and unique.

Do not talk or meet up with someone you don’t know.

Never post anything about a future vacation. This can signal some robbers about which date they can come and rob your house. It is better to post about your vacation when you got home already.

Add friends you know in real life, don’t accept someone you barely know or met.

Avoid visiting or downloading anything from an untrusted website, make sure to check the icon beside the search box. *picture* According to DigiCert Blog, “How to Know if a Website is Secure?”, Look at the URL of the website. If it begins with “https” instead of “http” it means the site is secured using an SSL certificate (the s stands for secure). SSL certificates secure all of your data as it is passed from your browser to the website’s server.

Make your home wifi private by adding a password.

Make sure to install and update antivirus software on your computer.

Do not reply or check links from suspicious emails as it can lead you to an untrusted site and can hack your laptop or social media.

To give you more information, here are some of the internet threats that we need to be aware of and try to avoid:

The Malware, stands for malicious software. It includes virus, worm, trojan, spyware, adware, and ransomware. The virus is the most common malware. It is a malicious program designed to replicate itself and transfer from one computer to another (internet, local networks, FDs, CDs,etc.). Worms is a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer. The trojan is a malicious program that disguises as a useful program but once downloaded or installed, leaves your PC unprotected and allows hackers to get your information. Spyware is defined by Webroot Cybersecurity as "malware used for the purpose of secretly gathering data on an unsuspecting user." It is a program that runs in the background and spies your behavior as you are on your computer. Adware is malware that forces your browser to redirect to web advertisements, which often themselves seek to download further, even more, malicious software. Lastly, Ransomware, also known as scareware. This is a type of malicious software from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.

The Spam, this is any kind of unwanted, unsolicited digital communication, often an email, that gets sent out in bulk.

The Phishing, is a cybercrime in which a target/s are contacted by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.

Lastly, before we move to the next lesson it is important to know ‘The Core Rules of Netiquette’ are excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea.

First, Remember the Human.When communicating online, practice the Golden rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Remember that your written works or messages are read by real people, therefore you should ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?" before sending it.

Second, Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life. It is a must that your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Standards of behavior may be different in some areas of cyberspace, but they are not lower than in real life. Be ethical. Don't believe anyone who says, "The only ethics out there are what you can get away with."

Third, Know where you are in cyberspace. What's perfectly acceptable in one area may be dreadfully rude in another. And because Netiquette is different in different places, it's important to know where you are. Thus the next corollary: Lurk before you leap.

Fourth, Respect other people’s time and bandwidth. Online communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. It's your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn't wasted.

Fifth, Make yourself look good online. One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical appearance, the sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear. However, you will be judged by the quality of your writing so keep in mind the following tips: (1)Always check for spelling and grammar errors, (2) Know what you're talking about and state it clearly

Sixth, Share expert knowledge. The reason for asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. And if even a few of them offer intelligent answers, the sum total of world knowledge increases. The Internet itself was founded and grew because scientists wanted to share information. Gradually, the rest of us got in on the act. So do your part. Despite the long lists of no-no's in this book, you do have something to offer. Don't be afraid to share what you know.

Seventh, Help keep flame wars under control. "Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion.g. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

Eighth, Respect other people’s privacy. Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled with care. Thus, Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.

Ninth, Don’t abuse your power. Some people in cyberspace have more power than others. There are wizards in MUDs (multi-user dungeons), experts in every office, and system administrators in every system. Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them. For example, sysadmins should never read private emails.

Tenth, Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes. Everyone was a network newbie once. So when someone makes a mistake, whether it's a spelling error or a spelling flame, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know any better.

The last lesson that was taught to us is ‘Advanced Word Processing Skill’. This lesson focuses on the software word processor the ‘Microsoft Word.’

A Word Processor is an electronic device or computer software application that performs the task of composing, editing, formatting, and printing of documents.

Microsoft Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft and the first released on October 25, 1983. Microsoft Word has features and functions which are not mostly known by others. These are the Auto-Correct, Grammar Checker, Read Aloud, Template, Thesaurus, Mail Merge, and Text Wrap.

Advance Features of Microsoft Word are discussed. Beginning with the kinds of Materials we can have in Microsoft Word.

The first is Pictures. Generally, these are electronic or digital pictures or photographs you have saved on any local storage device. There are three file formats that pictures have which are JPEG or Joint Photographic Expert Group, this can support 16.7 million colors so that it is suitable for use when working with full-color photographic images, GIF or Graphics Interchange Format, this is used for computer-generated images that support animation, can only support up to 256 colors., lastly, PNG or Portable Network Graphics, this is similar to GIF except it has smaller file size but does not support animation, it can display up to 16 million colors and allows the control of the transparency level or opacity of images.

The second material is Clip Art. This is generally a GIF type; line art drawings or images used as a generic representation for ideas and objects that you might want to integrate into your document.

The third is Shapes. These are printable objects or materials that you can integrate in your document to enhance its appearance or to allow you to have some tools to use for composing and representing ideas or messages. The fourth is Smart Art. Generally, these are predefined sets of different shapes grouped together to form ideas that are organizational or structural in nature.

The fifth is Chart. Another type of material that you can integrate into your Word document that allows you to represent data characteristics and trends.

The sixth is Screenshot. Sometimes, creating reports or manuals for training or procedure will require the integration of a more realistic image of what you are discussing on your report or manual.

Moving on to the most focused part of the lesson which is the Mail Merge. Mail Merge is a useful tool that allows you to produce multiple letters, labels, envelopes, name tags, and more using information stored in a list, database, or spreadsheet. When these two documents are combined (merged), each document includes the individual names and addresses you need to send it to. The two components of Mail Merge are the Form Document, this contains the main body of the message we want to convey or send., and the List or Data File, This is where the individual information or data that needs to be plugged in (merged) to our form document is placed and maintained.

It was demonstrated to us, how to use and make mail merge, and here’s mine:

Before ending this blog, I would like to show you some of my modules for the subject Empowerment Technologies(ETech): ICT for Professional Track.

First, the open forum about the “How can you promote Netiquette?”

Second, an assignment about “Cyberspace: Share an experience that you have always tend to do but later did you discover that it is not a standard of ONLINE SAFETY, SECURITY, ETHICS, AND ETIQUETTE. “

Third, another open forum about “What is the importance of Microsoft office in your education?”

Lastly is another assignment, making an Infographic: Promoting your specific track/strand. My infographic is a promotion of my strand, STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Hope you learn a lot from this blog as I learn a lot from my subject teacher for Empowerment Technologies(ETech): ICT for Professional Track.

Let this day be filled with success in all the ventures you make today. Have a great day!

Photo Credits:

https://curatti.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WWW-Image-1.jpg

https://go4customer.com/articleimages/1581925569Safety_Internet_Day.png

https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/internet_attacks.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fc/37/e1/fc37e162244d19115d88ab58e07ccc2b.png

https://cdn.guidingtech.com/imager/assets/2019/05/226896/Image-Best-Microsoft-Word-Online-Tips-and-Tricks 2_4d470f76dc99e18ad75087b1b8410ea9.png?1558678050

#ICT Performance_Task

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somethingvaguetodo · 6 years ago

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Signals Crossed

It's hard to balance two identities, especially when you are trying to do it all on one phone. Read on AO3 here

EDIT: Now with a second part!!!

Ladybug sat on the roof of the Palais Garnier waiting for Chat Noir to arrive for patrol. She was in the second minute of her deep breathing exercises when her yo-yo chimed with an incoming message.

Her eyes flew open to read Alya’s response. Unsatisfied with what it said, Ladybug chewed her lip as she thought about how to answer.

Marinette was having a crisis. Exactly 36 minutes earlier, she had received a text message from Adrien Agreste. The message read:

Hey Marinette! I have a photo shoot scheduled for Saturday and I just spoke to Père. He said it’s okay if you want to come along! Are you still interested?

In her panic, Marinette had screenshot the message and forwarded it to Alya, who told her to respond immediately and accept. Marinette, however, knew it was better to wait to respond so that she didn’t look desperate. Alya’s disagreement had continued past the time she needed to leave for patrol, so she was continuing the conversation from the rooftops.

I want him to think I’m cool and I have a life Answering in a minute does not show him that at all

Ladybug pressed the M icon at the top of her screen and sent both messages.

A few months ago, she and Chat had been playing around with the settings on their communicators when they discovered this capability. Chat was hoping to find a way to connect to Wi-Fi so he could start an official Chat Noir Twitter, but instead found a way to add another phone number to send and receive calls and messages. She had jumped at the chance to merge her two phones, but Chat didn’t.

“Honestly, m’lady, I love that you are the only one who can contact me when I’m transformed,” he had said with a wink.

Marinette had rolled her eyes and immediately added her civilian phone number. It made it a lot easier to cover herself and back up her excuses if she could contact Alya and her parents when transformed. All she had to do was be careful to choose the correct sender - Marinette, not Ladybug - when contacting them. Tikki had been nervous about the potential for making a mistake but Marinette knew better. Tikki was wise, but she was also old, and knew nothing about technology.

Marinette grew up with phones, computers, and tablets. She had this handled.

Alya had responded: It’s been what, a half hour? That’s long enough M

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but had to admit that Alya was right.

Chat Noir touched down beside her as she was typing her response to Adrien.

“One second, Chat. I’m making plans for the weekend.”

Chat groaned, and sat down beside her. “See this was why I didn’t like this, Ladybug. I’m trying to figure out my weekend plans too but I left my phone at home and will see later if my friend answered.”

Ladybug refused to look at him until she finished typing. “That’s good for you, Chat.”

Hey Adrien!!! I’d love to come to the shoot!! x

She sent it to Alya to make sure it sounded casual enough before copying it into a new message to Adrien. Alya’s response to add a kissing emoji went unacknowledged.

Ladybug reread the message twice to make sure there were no spelling errors. She made sure there were a different number of exclamation marks after each sentence so Adrien didn’t think she was strange or overenthusiastic.

Once she was sure it was perfect, she looked up at Chat and pressed send.

“Done!” she announced with a smile.

Despite his exasperation, Chat smiled back. “Excited for those plans?”

“Yes!” Now that she had finally sent the message, Ladybug could feel the excitement overriding the anxiety. “Oh, Chat, this is going to be amazing! I’ve literally dreamed of this happening but didn’t think it ever actually would!”

Chat’s smile faded. “Ladybug, do you have a date?”

Ladybug’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? No!” Then she thought about it. “Well, I guess it could maybe be thought of as a date...” She trailed off, the anxiety coming back. She grabbed hold of Chat’s arm and squeezed it tight. “Oh gosh, Chat, do you think he thinks it’s a date?!”

He studied her closely, oddly serious. “Would that make you happy?”

Ladybug nodded rapidly. “Very happy.”

“Well in that case,” Chat said, “I hope he does think it’s a date.” At Ladybug’s surprised look, he chuckled. “I just want you to be happy, LB.” Ladybug felt herself warm up, a blush dusting her cheeks. Chat’s smile turned mischievous. “Besides, I know we’re endgame. This will be a fun story to tell our grandkids one day.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and shoved him. “Come on you crazy cat.” She pushed herself off the roof to stand, tossing out her yo-yo and pulling the string taunt. “Race you to L’Arc de Triumph.”

Chat Noir dove through his bedroom window, releasing his transformation as he went and landing in a forward roll on the floor. Plagg spiraled out of his ring, moaning for cheese. Adrien picked himself up and walked to the bed, collapsing on his back.

He still had to complete a chemistry worksheet, shower, and change before going to sleep, but he could afford to rest for a few minutes. He picked up his phone from where it was charging on his nightstand and scrolled through his notifications.

There were a number of unread text messages, but he looked for Marinette’s name first. Adrien was disappointed to see that she hadn’t responded to him yet. He was really hoping that she would come this Saturday to his photo shoot.

He went to respond to Nino when he noticed one new message from a number he didn’t recognize. In fact it wasn’t a normal number at all.

0000M0000C0000 SMS message

Convinced that it was a scam or robo-message, Adrien ignored it in favor of answering Nino.

After sending a message, he swiped out of Nino’s thread, intending to check and make sure his message to Marinette went through. On the main page of his message app, however, he could read the beginning of the message from the unknown number.

0000M0000C0000 Hey Adrien!!! I’d love to come to...

Adrien looked at it, chewing his lip as he decided what to do. It was clearly from someone who knew his name, but a scam could have found that out. If it was a scam, it would be better to ignore it. But it could also be something important, or something Nathalie or Père scheduled that he would get into trouble for ignoring.

Deciding the curiously would kill him if he didn’t look, Adrien opened the message.

Hey Adrien!!! I’d love to come to the shoot!! x

The message sounded like it came from Marinette. He was expecting a response from her about a photo shoot, and she often signed her messages with an x.

But unless Marinette bought a new phone with an unconventional number, it couldn’t have been from her.

Something about the number was bothering him, and he took another look.

It wasn’t so much a number as a string of zeros and two letters. He doubted it was coming from a phone. Maybe an IP address? Or an e-mail? One of his fathers’ colleagues had tried to send an e-mail to his phone number and it came out strange.

Deciding to find that old message, Adrien scrolled back through his thread, watching names pass by before something caught his attention.

0000M0000D0000

He pressed it. It was a series of unanswered messages, but Adrien recognized them all. They were reminders he had sent himself: things he had to do before going to bed, homework that was due the next day, people he was supposed to reply to. But he had sent them all from Chat Noir’s baton communicator.

Adrien’s heart was pounding, but the conclusion he was jumping to couldn’t possibly be correct.

“Plagg,” he called out, and the kwami appeared with a wedge of Camembert clutched in his paws. “Can you take a look at this?”

Plagg floated over, and Adrien switched back to the message from 0000M0000C0000.

“Could this be from Ladybug?” he asked, trying to keep his voice light.

Plagg glanced at the screen and shrugged. “You know I don’t understand all of your computer stuff,” he whined.

Adrien fiddled with his phone, trying to decide what to do. He finally gave in to his impulses.

“Plagg, claws out!”

Chat Noir sat on his bed, cross-legged, and took out his baton. He opened the messaging app. There were only six conversations: Ladybug, Queen Bee, Carapace, Rena Rouge, his cell phone, and the one time he tried to message Hawkmoth only to discover that he had deactivated that feature.

He clicked on Ladybug’s. There were a series of important messages about akumas and patrols, jokes, and silly memes usually sent by Chat. He navigated to her contact card.

Her face smiled out at him, information below the photo.

Ladybug Miraculous 0000M0000C0000

Chat stopped breathing.

He held his phone up beside the baton and compared the numbers to make sure they were exactly the same. They were.

He released his transformation with an exhale, his baton disintegrating from his hands. Adrien was left sitting on his bed, phone in one hand and frustrated kwami landing in the other.

“What was that for?” Plagg asked.

Adrien decided it would be best to logically present the data he had accumulated. “I got a message from a strange number, that I now can see is actually Ladybug’s yo-yo. The message was addressed to Adrien, which means that Ladybug knows me as Adrien. It was about coming to my photo shoot, and only Marinette would be sending me a message about a photo shoot.”

Plagg blinked up at him. “So?”

“So,” Adrien echoed, his voice calm and measured, “Marinette is Ladybug.”

They both let that statement sit between them for a moment. Then Adrien started hyperventilating.

“Marinette is Ladybug! How didn’t I notice that before? It’s so obvious! Ladybug is Marinette!” Adrien dumped Plagg unceremoniously onto his bedspread and leapt up, pacing the length of the room.

“So Ladybug sends a text to Adrien, but she thinks that she is Marinette sending a text to Adrien. But she isn’t, she’s actually Ladybug who is also Marinette who is texting Adrien who she doesn’t know is actually Chat Noir and was right next to her at the time.”

Plagg watched him. “Sounds about right.”

Adrien ignored him. “Ladybug isn’t interested in going out with Chat Noir, but Ladybug who is Marinette said that she wants the guy she was texting to think of their plans as a date. And Ladybug was texting Adrien.”

Adrien turned to Plagg, his hands tugging at his hair. “Which means Marinette wants to date Adrien, if I haven’t lost track,” Plagg finished for him.

Having reached the windows, Adrien rested his back against one and slid down to sit on the floor. “Which means Ladybug wants to date Chat Noir,” he said, a smile blooming on his face. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”

Adrien started laughing, and found he couldn’t stop. Now that the shock had worn off and the information was starting to sink in, he felt a little delusional. This couldn’t actually have happened, could it?

Plagg shook his head. “How are you going to tell her?”

Adrien thought about it, and suddenly a grin spread across his face. “This photo shoot is going to be fun.”

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ladynoir #ladybug #chat noir #my writing

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sablelab · 6 years ago

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Covert Operations - Chapter 72

DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita. LFN and its characters do not belong to me nor do those from Outlander.

SYNOPSIS: Section One has a window of opportunity and they plan to use Jonathon Randall’s obvious interest in Claire to work to their advantage. They decide to let the introduction play out then implement an offensive the next day.

This chapter has some violence. Many THANKS for your support of this story. Previous chapters can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

N.B. I will be away for a couple of days and won’t be posting until I return home again next week (TUESDAY or WEDNESDAY) to continue what happens in the melee in which Claire is embroiled. A preview of Chapter 73 can be found at the conclusion of this chapter.

CHAPTER 72(V)

Karen Yee and her boyfriend Andy Ma had watched the exchanges between Jonathon Randall and Claire Beauchamp as they’d danced and knew that things were progressing as they would like. This would bode well for their plans to gain more information about her and when they did, then they would act. The triad’s Supreme Dragon Head had ordered Karen to carry on her close association with Claire in order to find out anything significant about her. Hence, when Jonathon Randall and Jiang Ng had more Intel on their mark, they would deal with her in good time. Until then, she was to be as convincing as possible and not raise Claire’s suspicions and those of her erstwhile companion James Fraser, if she was to meet with him again. Unfortunately, Karen had said that she’d been uncomfortable in that man’s presence and feared she may have raised his suspicions about her already. The triad was convinced that Claire Beauchamp was some kind of agent for the police in covert activities. Jiang was checking out Intel on her movements whilst with the Water Police to piece together a dossier on her. He’d informed their leader that Claire most probably had been involved in some kind of undercover work in Aberdeen but nothing was confirmed as yet. His suspicions about her were heightened as Tony Wong had met his demise there and although there was no concrete evidence to link Claire with the events in Aberdeen, Jiang had alluded that it was highly probable that she may know something. However, if things progressed as they hoped, it would not be too long until they would have Claire Beauchamp under their power. They had ways and means of discovering the information they wanted to know, and would find out just what she knew about the deaths, the Rising Dragons and who her contacts were. They could then connect the dots to see if she was somehow involved in Tony Wong’s death. Jiang Ng would see to that. Madame Cheung was another conundrum for the Rising Dragons. Sun Yee Lok had known she had a new brunette protégé whom she had taken under her wing, but now Madame Cheung was missing, and so too was her protégé. Once again it was highly suspicious. Was Claire Beauchamp involved with Madame Cheung as well? Was she the mystery pupil? So far, they had been unable to find one person who could confirm or deny if Claire had a connection with their missing triad member. They wanted to know what her involvement was with Madame Cheung and if she was in any way connected with her disappearance as well. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Karen and Andy knew that Jonathon Randall had set the wheels in motion by weaving a spell around Claire. It appeared to them that he was charming the pants off her. To those watching, it was obvious that she was falling under his charms tonight and that Claire seemed to be responsive to his advances. Yes ... everything was going well ... extremely well indeed, they thought. The couple smiled at one another in satisfaction when Jonathon made his way over to where they were sitting. All three persons exchanged a look as he returned with Claire Beauchamp in tow. As soon as they approached, Karen and Andy continued their charade, then once Jonathon had left them alone to attend to business; she bombarded Claire with her usual questions. “Wow! Claire ... I’ve never seen Jonathon Randall pull out all stops and sweep a girl off her feet like that. He looked like he was mesmerised.” “Really?” “Yes! … really! Aren’t you glad you decided to come tonight? I told you that you might meet someone, and you did,” Karen replied in an “I told you so” voice. However, Claire was nonchalant. “He was okay.” Karen was flabbergasted that her neighbour seemed so disinterested in Jonathon Randall and she voiced her opinion in no uncertain terms. “What? Just okay? ... Are you nuts Claire? Jonathon Randall owns this club. He’s one of the richest men in Hong Kong ... He’s handsome ... You’re a very lucky woman.” She looked at Claire to gauge if her tirade had had an effect before asking a more measured question, “So, what did he want?” “He offered me a job.” “Wow ... that’s great. Are you going to accept?” Looking at Karen, Claire replied. “I said I’d think about it and give him an answer tomorrow. He asked me to dinner too.” She noticed the little smirk that crossed her neighbour’s lips at her response, before Karen quickly presented a more inquisitive demeanour. Her answer though, was adamant. “You can’t possibly say “NO.” “Yes ... you’re right Karen ... Of course, I’m going to accept.” “Way to go Claire!”

Yes ... everything was going well ... extremely well indeed, she thought.

Claire Beauchamp was dangling on the line and Jonathon Randall was reeling her in. Karen couldn’t be happier with this turn of events, and she knew that the Rising Dragons’ leader would be pleased with how things had gone with the introduction. It was only a matter of time that their plans would be implemented.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile back at Section One, Fergus had monitored Claire’s movements, and alerted Operations to the person that she’d just been introduced to. The young entrepreneur of the Rising Dragons, Jonathon Randall was at the nightclub. The very person Section One was looking for, the one who would surely lead them closer to Sun Yee Lok and thus cause the Rising Dragons to implode, had finally surfaced at his nightclub venue The Triangle for his birthday celebrations. Operations was in the Perch waiting for more intel on how the nightclub mission was proceeding when he was alerted to some incoming message from Section’s Techie. “What is it Fergus?” “Sir ... there have been developments at the nightclub.” “Good.” “Claire has made contact with the target.” “Jonathon Randall?” “Yes! She’s sent visuals of what he looks like and other individuals at the club also.” “Excellent! And the other targets?”

“Unfortunately, Inspector Jang Ng was not there.”

“What about Karen Yee and her boyfriend?”

“They were there but we have no intel on them in our data base, just Jamie’s suspicions at this stage.”

“Suspicions are not concrete evidence Mr Claudel. We need to keep them under surveillance at the moment in case one or both of them make a mistake. Inform Claire to keep alert to any anomalies with her neighbour.”

“Yes sir. How do you want to proceed then?”

“We’ll let the introduction play out so Claire can learn more information from the target, then follow through with the mission profile.” “He’s already hit on her. He’s invited her to dinner tomorrow night.” “Good! His obvious interest in Claire can work to our advantage.” “We have a window tomorrow night sir.” “Excellent ... we’ll use it and implement the offensive tomorrow then. Inform Jamie that the mission has been aborted.” “Yes sir.” After being given Operations directive, Fergus contacted Jamie in the mission van. “Jamie ... We’ll try again tomorrow. Assume counter surveillance and use your alternate routes. Meet back at the Section,” he announced. However, James Fraser was curious as to why the mission was to be aborted just when the target was so near. “Why?’ “Operations wants you to come in.” “Yes. All right ... and Claire?” “No ... just you.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In turn, James Fraser alerted the team members inside the nightclub to the change in plans. “Okay all team members ... mission aborted ... get to your exit points,” Jamie instructed before informing Claire as to the change in profile. “Claire ...” His voice washed over her with the sound of regret that the mission was cancelled. Having heard what he’d already said to the other team members on the open channel, Claire was aware of what he wanted to say to her privately. She could hear the entreaty in Jamie’s voice knowing that meant only one thing, that he had been called back into Section.

“I’ll be okay Jamie ...”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inside the mission van James Fraser removed his comm. unit and stared at the screen looking grim.

There would be no offensive tonight to apprehend Jonathon Randall or the others ... that was now aborted and he had to return to Section One as well. That meant only one thing ... Claire was once again being used as bait to lure the target, but if things didn’t go to plan this would place her in jeopardy all over again.

He had alerted her as to his recall to Section since the mission had been aborted, but he’d decided that he would remain behind for a short time and would just wait a while and keep an eye on his Claire. Although he knew she was capable of looking after herself ... more than capable, he did not like her being left to her own devices for the rest of the evening. He’d not liked that scenario one iota. He felt ill at ease that something was about to go wrong and if it did, he wanted to be there to protect her.

Jonathon Randall was too smooth. His being called away raised his suspicions as to why he would be taken away from his own birthday festivities. Inspector Ng wasn’t in attendance tonight either. Perhaps there had been a tip off and he’d been instructed to stay away. It would certainly not be in his best interests to be associated with Jonathon Randall should anything go down at The Triangle tonight. Hence, his capture would need to be at another time as well. That only left Karen Yee and her boyfriend Andy Ma.

James Fraser had that inexplicable sixth sense … that intuitive faculty that gave him an acute awareness to anticipate impending danger. That feeling played on his mind.

Something wasn’t right.

Section could wait. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Walking quickly up the stairs and down a corridor Jonathon Randall hurried to where his office was located to make an important return call. He stopped outside the door leading to his office. Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket he took out a card and swiped it through the security mechanism to release the locked door and it soon opened with a definitive click. Pushing open the door he switched on the overhead lights illuminating the expensively furnished office.

Randall’s personal office at The Triangle was his private domain and entry was privy to only those who were close to him. He ran an entrepreneurial empire but he also was a member of the Rising Dragons’ triad and as such he had enemies. His office had security monitors on the inside and outside of the club for personal reasons of his safety. There had been a number of occasions that members of rival triads had come to the nightclub especially from the Black Panthers and Red Lanterns triads and these were always viewed as suspicious. In his line of business competition was cutthroat and rivalry between the triads for business was rife. He needed to protect his interests and having a secure office with little chance of enemies penetrating it was paramount.

He also stored many confidential documents and sensitive papers for his eyes only in his private safe, and he liked it that way. These were his get out of jail failsafe documentation and his surety. It was information on the Rising Dragons that would be his ticket to freedom or immunity if needs be. They were his bargaining chip in case of an emergency if he was compromised or threatened in any way, therefore he protected his privacy in this room above all other things. The important and highly classified documentation of the Rising Dragons’ activities were housed there. If security was breached then he could use them as leverage to protect himself from prosecution. None of his confidants knew of the existence of the files and documents ... even Sun Yee Lok was unaware that he kept personal dossiers on him and members of the triad. If he found out that he had such sensitive information, his life would be in jeopardy, so making sure that they were inaccessible to prying eyes was crucial. Hence the files were encrypted and he always placed them in the safe or downloaded any information by himself. Sitting down behind his desk Jonathon Randall keyed in the silent number to place a return call. It must be something important for Sun Yee Lok never ever contacted him at the nightclub but had said he would follow up their call from the other evening. The triad leader had informed him of their findings about Claire Beauchamp so he could keep a close eye on her ... which as far as he was concerned wasn’t too difficult ... the woman was beautiful. However, he knew what he had to do for the triad and he would do what needed to be done to elicit that very information. “Ah ... Jonathon ...” “Yes?” “I have something I want you to do.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Jonathon Randall’s birthday party was definitely in full swing but his absence from his own celebrations didn’t prevent the evening kicking up a notch or two with much revelry, carousing and festivities. Claire had not seen Randall since he had been called away by his minders a short time ago. She didn’t know if he would return again this evening or if what he’d said to her still stood, that he would see her tomorrow night for dinner. Claire was thankful when Andy led Karen out onto the dance floor and she was left alone. Jamie had informed her that the mission had been aborted and he was recalled to Section One while they were dancing. Although it was still early in the evening, she’d had enough of the nightclub; she was sick and tired of keeping up the charade of her cover, Karen’s small talk, the noise and especially of the groping that had occurred by overzealous revellers. Claire was ready to leave as well. There was really no need for her to stay longer than necessary and she thought that perhaps she could feign a headache and call it a night when Karen and Andy returned. As she watched the interplay between the couple her thoughts turned to what Jamie had said as to the change in profile.

His intonation had suggested that he was reluctant to leave her there alone particularly when he was suspicious of her companions. She thought it strange that she wasn’t recalled back to Section with Jamie and the team, and was a little apprehensive that she was left here on her own even though she’d confirmed that she’d be okay. Having met the charismatic Jonathon Randall, she was well aware of how he could charm the birds out of the trees. He had certainly tried to do so with her tonight. She hated the smarminess of these targets ... and she was not looking forward to another meeting with him tomorrow night.

More than likely Madeline would be formalizing the offensive on Jonathon Randall and Jamie would play a vital part in his capture. Although she didn’t like it, she accepted that that was the way Section One worked ... you were told to jump and there was no deviation from the orders ... that is unless of course you were James Fraser. He was oblivious to that rule. Claire smiled thinking about the times he had gone against Section only to be triumphant when a profile was altered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~

Lost in her thoughts she was unaware that Karen and Andy had returned. It was not until Karen spoke that the sound of her voice unexpectedly interrupted her train of thought.

Noticing Claire’s mood, Karen sat down beside her and asked, “Hey you okay Claire? You seem to be a million miles away.” “Yeah ... I’m fine ... Jonathon Randall asked me out to dinner, I was just thinking about tomorrow night actually.”

“You’re not nervous, are you?” “No ... well maybe a little bit.” “Don’t worry ... Mr Randall is a great guy. I’m sure you’ll have a fabulous time.” “I hope so.” “I know so!” was Karen’s emphatic reply. “He’ll treat you like a princess.” The three friends engaged in animated small talk in the dimly lit nightclub as the replacement band belted out a rock tune. The throbbing cadence of the music was pulsating. “The music is a bit loud isn’t it?” Claire stated leaning towards Karen. ‘What?” Karen queried not hearing exactly what she’d said. A little louder Claire repeated her statement. “I said the music is a bit loud.” “Yeah ... it is a bit ...” Karen replied raising her voice to make herself heard too. “It’s giving me a headache.” “Do you want to leave?” “I think I might ... it’s starting to throb.” “I’ll go with you.” “No ... I don’t want to spoil to your night ... stay ... I’ll be fine.” Claire’s statement didn’t sit well with Karen, as she’d been ordered to keep a close tab on her neighbour and not let her out of her sight. Thinking of a retort to persuade Claire to let her accompany her home didn’t eventuate, for as they were speaking a commotion suddenly broke out.

Two young Chinese men started to fawn over the same blonde woman who had been sitting next to Jonathon Randall earlier on the dance floor. Voices were raised and there was some pushing and shoving between the two men. The altercation became very intense as insults flew between the two men. Their loud, angry voices reverberated in the room and the noise level was exacerbated more when the music stopped. People around the argument moved well away in case they were drawn into the quarrel between the two men.

Noticing the skirmish, Karen said, “Uh ... oh ... There’s gonna be trouble.” “What? What’s going on?” Claire asked as the men were arguing in Cantonese which she didn’t understand. “You don’t wanna know Claire. Trust me.” “Why?” “See that guy in the red jacket ... he’s an alleged member of the Black Panthers and the other is from the Red Lanterns triad.” “How do you know that?” “I’ve seen them here before but it looks as though they want to stir up trouble tonight.” “How did they get in? Wasn’t this party by invitation only?” “There must have been a breech in security. Mr Randall won’t like that!” Andy replied alarmingly realising that things were escalating. On the dance floor, the two men exchanged blows and people began to scatter away from the melee. Turning to Karen and then Claire, Andy announced, “I think you girls should leave. This could get ugly.” “Yeah! Let’s just get out of here.” Karen agreed. Andy grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and motioned to Claire to follow his lead. “Come on ... follow me.”

Together they all retreated to avoid the ruckus and chaos that had scattered the frightened revellers in every which way to avoid the fight in the middle of the dance floor. The threesome made their way to the entrance of the nightclub only to find many other panicky partygoers pushing and shoving to get out of the way too. In the process Karen and Andy got separated from Claire.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Lost in thought Jonathon Randall replaced the receiver and leaned back in his chair. His orders had been explicit about Claire Beauchamp and he looked forward to carrying out his leader’s instructions. However, the sound of a commotion coming from downstairs broke his train of thought as he heard the noise of yelling and shouting. Jonathon got up from his chair and went over to check his security monitors to ascertain just what was happening to ruin his birthday celebrations. He saw Karen and Andy on a monitor exit through the entrance but was unable to see Claire with them. Switching to another monitor he managed to spot her making her way out of the club also. Although thankful that they had fled the melee safely, it only reiterated the danger he was in from rival triads. Looking at his security monitor Jonathon Randall zoomed in on the dance floor and recognised the faces of the men who were causing all the trouble. Suddenly a piercing scream broke out and the sound of a gunshot filled the air. One of the men fell to the ground. The blonde woman shrieked at the top of her lungs as blood splattered all over her face and dress. She stood on the dance floor shaking and screaming with fear at what had just happened. Jonathon Randall looked at the security screen in disbelief.

This was going to ruin his business and could have serious consequences. Murder on the dance floor would not sit well with patrons of his nightclub. The rival triads were obviously out to ruin him or more to the point kill him as well. He’d heard that Samuel Li was back in town and that the Black Panthers were seeking revenge for alluded misconceptions about the Rising Dragons.

He had to think fast.

Quickly, he alerted his security team for he needed to secure his own safety as well. Reluctantly but expeditiously, he also placed a call to the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. If they took care of this mess then some of the dirt may not stick and he would not be held accountable for what was transpiring. He needed their assistance at the club ASAP before there was any more bloodshed, and worst still, there was an enquiry that Jiang may not be able to cover up. His name had been associated with quite a few too many incidents of late, and if the press got a hold of this ... well … then there would be all hell let loose. This may be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Jonathon Randall continued to watch his monitors but they began to strobe, then the picture disappeared altogether and he lost visual. Extremely worried, he depressed a secret button under his desk to call for back up from the triad as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~to be continued

A LITTLE PREVIEW which I will post when I return home from my holiday on Tuesday or Wednesday to continue what happens next.

CHAPTER 73(V)

Claire noticed two Chinese men in black watching what was happening on the dance floor. Turning in time she saw them pull out and draw their guns, then all of a sudden, the two men started shooting. In no time at all there was gunfire ricocheting across the crowded room in retaliation for the death of their colleague as the two men shot at the security personnel who had come to intervene in the confrontation. They indiscriminately shot at them and anyone else who moved. As a consequence, sheer pandemonium broke out. In panic people ran to avoid what was happening as a hail of bullets reverberated around the nightclub. Suddenly, Fergus’ voice echoed in her comm. unit when he saw and heard the gunfire fight on the monitor, “Claire ... What’s going on in there?” “There’s shooting ... It’s two rival triads.” She watched as one of the young men drew what appeared to be some sort of small device from his pocket and rolled it across the floor. A smoky mist arose from the mechanism then suddenly there was a loud bang and flames shot up into the air. “Claire! ... report!” “They’ve just firebombed the nightclub too.” Guests lay on the floor. Claire counted about seventeen who had died. Quickly surveying what was happening; she chambered a round of ammunition in the gun hidden on her thigh. Taking aim, she took out the aggressors, but the gunfire kept on coming from other quarters within the darkened room. All hell broke loose ... and Jonathon Randall was nowhere to be seen. “You’re got incoming hostiles.” Fergus relayed as his monitor screen alerted Claire to movement in her vicinity. “Position and number?” “There's one heading right for you Claire.” “Can you back me out?” “No. You’re going to have to go through them. Do you need some back- up?” “I’m fine ... I can handle this myself.” “There's another one right behind him.” Suddenly Fergus was interrupted by a voice he didn’t expect. “I’ll cover her.” “Jamie?” he queried incredulously realising that James Fraser had disobeyed orders to return to Section One. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Amid all the chaos going on around her in the nightclub, Claire weaved to her right just as the hostile appeared followed by another close on his heels. As he approached, she clenched her fist and gave the assailant a very quick left hook to the face. Clutching his jaw, he fell to the ground knocked out by the blow. Seeing his companion fall, the second man made a lunge at her but Claire had his measure and he too met with the same fate. Quickly assessing the situation, she moved toward the direction of the entrance, but the scene there was one of sheer panic.

Alarmed Fergus noticed hostiles appearing from all around the room. “Claire! Get out of there. They'll be on top of you any second. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* “I’m getting Claire.” Jamie stated with nonchalant conviction. “Jamie, what are you doing?” “Ye heard ...Ye’ll have to cover for me with Section,” he added in passing, knowing that Fergus Claudel had no option but to do so. “No, Jamie! Claire can handle herself.” But his words fell on deaf ears.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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malecsecretsanta · 5 years ago

Photo

Merry Christmas, @forensicsisabelle!

Dear giftee!

Hope this gift will give you a smile and a giggle over the festive period! Merry Christmas! <3

Read on AO3

******

There's Something Magical About Christmas!

Chapter 1 - Christmas Eve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Surely it couldn’t be time to rise and face the day already, Magnus thinks, burrowing deeper into the furry warmth of his husband’s comfy chest, stubbornly refusing to let the light stealing through the curtains rob him of his contented bliss.

The answering purr he feels beneath his cheek makes him smile though..

“You’re turning into Chairman, Alexander,” he mumbles, scrunching his nose at the delicate licks it’s now being treated to.

Muffled giggling has Magnus cranking one bleary eye open to see it was indeed the magnificent Meow providing him with a perfect pillow, while the highly amused trio of his nearest and dearest were huddled together on the other side of the bed, laughing at his expense.

Once again, Magnus silently congratulates himself for suggesting they all wear brand new festive pyjamas every year as a Lightwood-Bane family tradition, because seeing Reindeer Rafe, Mince Pie Max and Angel Alexander had already made his Christmas as far as Mistletoe Magnus was concerned.

A grin tugging at his lips, Magnus subjects all three of them to lazy tickles, reserving a nuzzle for the unimpressed pet, who promptly vacates the bed in a huff over all the jostling noise, the void quickly filled with eager bodies scooting closer to get their morning cuddles.

“Snuggles,” declares their youngest, heaving a contented sigh when everyone’s limbs are entangled enough to barely allow any breath and his parents’ arms reach across to lock them in tight.

“How long have you three been awake?” Magnus rasps, dropping a kiss on the boys’ heads before crushing them briefly when his husband seeks one for himself.

Whispering into Rafe’s dark curls, Alec replies, “Someone forgot to turn their alarm off this morning and woke us up.” Hazel eyes peer mischievously at him through ridiculously long lashes. “Well, most of us.”

Magnus savours it, lips curling in tandem with his handsome husband’s as they patiently wait to give each other a proper kiss good morning.

“What can I say, family of mine?” he sighs, propping himself up on his elbow to see their faces better “Those of us not blessed with a Nephilim glow or the magic of youth, require all the help extra sleep can give.”

“As if,” snorts Alec, rolling his eyes in unison with their eldest, while big blue ones crinkle in delight at his papa’s silly words.

“I think you SPARKLE!” Max declares, his eager arms reaching to wrestle Magnus down for a flurry of loud, wet kisses to his face, both boys oblivious to the dopey smiles exchanged over their heads as they nestle deeper under the covers.

Hearing the mouthed words, “You’re beautiful,” because they’re voiced loud and clear on an almost daily basis by his very complimentary partner, Magnus absorbs all the affection in a languid state of happiness as he watches Alec rise to go make breakfast, asking over his shoulder what everyone wants to do today.

Everything from trips abroad to board games are discussed over the kitchen table as they wolf down Alec’s expertly-made crepes, but before they even have a chance to clear the dishes, an unwelcome security issue requiring Alec’s immediate attention threatens to breach their cheerful mood.

Rafe, proud of his dad’s position as the Head of the New York Institute and keen to take any opportunity to observe him in action, is the only one excited by the news.

“I’ll be ready in five minutes,” Rafe chirps, scrambling off the chair and running to get dressed without waiting for Alec’s permission to go with him.

With a fond shake of the head, Alec crouches next to where Max is now pouting on Magnus’ lap and takes his hand.

“I hate to leave, Max, but I’ll try and make it quick, then we’ll do whatever you boys want, ok?” Alec promises, kissing his 5-year-old’s button nose and getting rewarded with one back before going to change.

Determined to remain upbeat, Magnus suggests helping Max practice the magic trick he plans to use to impress their friends later, flicking his wrist to fill the loft with music from Max’s favourite Harry Potter film, trying and succeeding in bringing the joy back to his little one’s face.

By the time his angelic duo are ready to leave, everyone’s mood is restored, except Alec’s.

“Go do your job, Shadowhunter,” Magnus tells him between quick, chaste kisses that will have to do for now. “We’re not going anywhere.”

The lop-sided smile he receives makes the wait for their return much easier.

*********************************

Given the mutinous look on his 7-year-old’s face, Alec’s half-expecting his son to dig his heels in and refuse to leave his side while Underhill delivers his security report, but Rafe’s need to make his father proud of him overrides his annoyance at being temporarily dismissed and he trudges over to Aline without another word, letting her cajole him with offers of bo staff training and peppermint fudge until he caves with a dimpled grin.

“Thanks for offering to look after him, Aline. Appreciate it.”

A knowing smile accompanies her nod, and with a quick wave, she closes the door behind them.

“He’s a chip off the old block, you know,” says Underhill, eyes darting to the handful of papers at Alec’s elbow that Rafe had just been practicing his memos and perfecting his tricky signature on.

If it was what Rafe wanted, his son was going to head up his own institute one day, Alec was sure of it. Pride softened his voice. “Actually, I think he’s got a lot of Magnus in him too,” Alec replies, capping the embossed fountain pen Rafe had been using and twirling it in his hand. “I offered him crayons but apparently they’re not good enough for cursive writing.”

Underhill chuckles, taking a seat and opening the file. “He’s a credit to you both. Max too.”

Warmth fills Alec’s chest at those words. “Thank you. We’ve been very lucky.”

Clearing some space for them to study the data, Alec’s remembering the cleverly-timed kiss that allowed Magnus to persuade him to add some ‘yuletide joy’ to his austere surroundings, having to reign him in on the six-foot tree but unable to resist the fibre optic family-of-four snowmen sharing a rainbow scarf that stood beside a framed photo of them all.

The glamoured one secreted away in the bottom drawer of his desk, offering a digital slideshow of Magnus at his most alluring, was for his eyes only when he had to work late. That is a gift that truly keeps on giving.

A discreet cough brings him back to the present.

This time, warmth flooded Alec’s face. “Sorry. Shall we get started?”

Ever the gentleman, Underhill focuses on showing him their security status, assuring him that Keller, a specialist from the Tokyo Institute, would be a competent stand-in for himself when he took some long-overdue leave after Boxing Day.

Genuinely happy for the man who’d become a sympathetic friend over the last few years, Alec wishes Underhill good luck with his proposal plans, sure in the knowledge that Lorenzo will give him the answer he hoped for.

And equally sure they’ll be receiving an invitation, in portrait form, to the grandest wedding Spain will ever see.

Eager to retrieve his son and gather his family around him, Alec’s in the middle of locking drawers, switching off screens and filing the practice memos away for safe-keeping, when Rafe returns, sporting a megawatt smile as Aline and Helen regale Alec with how much progress the young Shadowhunter’s made with his posture and composure since he last visited.

Heart melting, Alec drops a kiss on Rafe’s head before giving him a piggyback and messages Magnus to say they’re ready to come home and need a portal, never more grateful for his favourite warlock’s pioneering ability than when it brings them all back together again.

“Will you both be on duty over Christmas?” Alec asks, once Rafe’s high-fived his chaperones goodbye.

“We are,” Helen replies, taking Aline’s hand and kissing it sweetly. “But we have each other for company while we do some heavy-duty…research.” The shared look between the girlfriends doesn’t escape Alec.

“Oh, research? Is that what we’re calling it now?” he teases as he heads for the portal that’s appeared behind him.

“We might even check the perimeter now and then,” Aline calls after him. “ I’ve heard it can be fun with the right company.”

Flipping them off behind his back, their laughter sends him home smiling and eager for a kiss from his husband.

*************************************

“Once more, my little blueberry. You’re so close, I can taste the cappuccino,” Magnus urges, heartsore about how defeated his little boy looks over the absence of lasting magic from his hands and wishing all the ley lines would converge beneath penthouse one to help Max complete his sorting spell.

The teary expression on Max’s face tells Magnus he’s not convinced he can do this.

With a soothing hand between shoulder blades stiff with tension, Magnus kneels down and cups his other one beneath both of Max’s which hold a small hill of coffee beans, and continues his encouragement. “Believe in your ability to do this, Max. Picture your magic roasting them, changing what the beans can do. Feel it in your gut and guide it to your fingertips, just like we talked about. Okay?”

Tilting his face up for a ‘positivity peck’ on the cheek, a more focused Max nods and prepares to try again, reciting the simple charm with more conviction than before.

Ready and waiting to provide a boost if needed, Magnus watches with incredible pride as the pale blue sparks don’t splutter and die, but grow stronger and brighter, rippling across the childish palms and engulfing the beans in a painless fire that ensures their new ability before clearing in a puff of white smoke.

Casting a quick reinforcement spell to preserve Max’s hard work, Magnus stores them in a sack stamped with the Hogwarts School emblem and flings his arms open for a hug, happy tears and giggles filling the room.

“Oh Max, you were wonderful!” Magnus tells him once they recover themselves, standing to swing the boy onto his hip. “Just wait until your dad and Rafe find out that you controlled your magic this time. Let alone see what we’ve done with the kitchen.”

Casting a critical eye over the lavishly-decorated roleplay cafe it had become thanks to both Max’s fertile imagination and his creative genius, Magnus has to admit he’s pleased with the results.

Shrugging his shoulders, Max is confident his father will love it. “This is fun. Dad said we could do what we wanted today.”

“He did indeed,” Magnus agrees, feeling warm and fuzzy about how, even at this tender age, Max is secure in the knowledge that his father will want to spend time having fun with him and his brother, because he loves them, and that Alec’s promises mean something.

Magnus wishes he’d known such certainty of affection growing up, been able to believe in the words spoken to him by the two men who’d held paternal roles in his life, but today was not to be spoiled with thoughts of fathers past, only enjoyed with a dearly beloved father of the present and the future. He’d found the perfect man to raise kids with.

One of many, many reasons he loves Alexander Gideon Lightwood.

“We have the stage, but not the costumes. Any thoughts?” Magnus asks, watching a slideshow of ideas come and go on Max’s face, giving it the serious consideration it deserves.

“Mmm, I want to be…..Draco. No! Dumbledore!” Bouncing with infectious excitement, Magnus needs both arms to contain his wannabe Albus, heading for the walk-in closet when a message from Alec comes through.

“Is that Dad? Are they coming back?” Max asks, crossing his fingers.

Magnus happily confirms that they are. “No time to waste,” he decides, magicking them both into costumes befitting their characters.

Max’s ecstatic smile, almost hidden by his new silvery beard, surely means Magnus chose wisely.

Activating the requested portal, they take up their positions just in time.

Gratifying gasps meet their ears when Alec and Rafe step through and spy their handiwork. Rafe takes in the bright red exterior framing the kitchen doorway as he slides to the floor, while Alec’s eyes rake over every inch of Magnus in his Lockhart finery, from his golden hair and make-up to the hem of his elaborately embroidered cape-coat.

“Papa, can I dress up too?” Rafe asks hopefully. “I want to be Ssssseverus Sssssnape!”

Dragging his eyes away from Alec’s frank appraisal, Magnus gives Rafe a thumbs up. “Certainly, ssssssunshine.” And with a flick of his wrist, Rafe becomes the head of Slytherin House.

Turning to Alec, Magnus issues a silent challenge to choose a character, lips quirking at the devilment he saw in those eyes. Watching the expressive slideshow of thoughts, an uncanny repeat of their youngest when he’s thinking, Magnus finds himself intrigued.

“How about Hag-?”

“No chance.”

“Alastor-”

“Nope.”

“Vol-”

“Don’t say his name!” exclaim the boys, pointing accusing fingers at their dad for forgetting.

Alec holds up his hands, suitably chastised, and turns a knowing smile on Magnus. “Let’s go with Sirius Black.”

“Excellent choice,” Magnus beams, all set to conjure the most raggedy and revealing prison clothes he could in the presence of the boys, when Alec spoils his fun with, “Minus the handcuffs.”

“As you wish,” he sighs, still creating a masterpiece with Alec’s velvet frock coat and fob chain, the false moustache and day-old stubble wreaking havoc with Magnus’ imagination until Max, equally resplendent in a silk robe and tasseled cap, clears his throat and lifts his arms.

“Welcome, Severus! Welcome, Sirius! This is the Elephant House coffee shop.” Pausing to check with Magnus that he’d said it correctly, Max continues. “Would you like to come inside for a drink?”

Bowing, Alec replies, “We’d be honoured, Professor,” causing Max to dissolve into giggles.

Rafe, however, staying wholly in character, gives his brother a dismissive look and strides inside, much to everyone’s amusement.

But before Magnus can follow them, Alec steals a surprise kiss as busy hands roam over the flowery cravat and waistcoat Magnus is wearing. Alec uses the voice usually reserved for the bedroom. “I just want to say that all of this works for me in ways it really shouldn’t.”

Similarly undone, Magnus tugs him even closer by his lapels. “Your whiskers have the same effect as my cat eyes, Alexander. You might have a hard time finding your razor from now on.”

The slow grin he receives is pure filth.

“Good to know.”

Magnus leaves him go with a grin of his own and shoos him inside the cafe.

Based mostly on Dumbledore’s office, the transformation looks amazing, if Magnus does say so himself. Bookshelves have replaced the cupboards, an ornate desk stands in lieu of the kitchen table, portrait paintings cover the walls and a grand chandelier graces the ceiling. In pride of place is a candle-lit lectern in the shape of an owl which holds a beautifully-styled coffee menu, next to which is a big wooden, globe-shaped drinks cabinet that houses a coffee machine with four spouts, each one forged into the head-shape of the animals representing the Hogwarts houses - a lion, a badger, an eagle and a serpent.

“You’ve outdone yourself in such a short space of time, Gilderoy,” Alec declares, taking in all the little details.

“‘Spooky how the time flies when one’s having fun,’” quotes Magnus, preening like a peacock at how thrilled everyone is with his efforts. “Care to take a taste test with our newly-qualified warlock-in-residence? Or am I spilling the beans too early, Max?”

Alec and Rafe turn to look expectantly at Max, who’s bubbling over with his need to share his news.

“I made magic coffee beans ALL BY MYSELF!“ he cries, quickly disappearing beneath a two-fold attack of bear hugs and congratulations that has Magnus joining in.

“What do I have to do to sample these special beans?” asks Alec, radiating with pride at his son’s first magical triumph.

“Sit and we’ll show you,” answers Max, fetching the sack of beans and opening it so his dad and brother could take one each, leaving his papa to explain the rest.

“These beans have been magically roasted by my good friend, Dumbledore, so that they’ll tell us which type of coffee you’ll enjoy drinking the most, based on the colour it leaves on your tongue when you chew it. Temporarily, of course.” Elegant hands draw their attention to each of the available beverages on the menu and their corresponding colour.

“Scarlet for a Grounded Gryffindor, yellow for a Hot Hufflepuff, blue for a Rich Ravenclaw and green for a Smooth Slytherin.”

“I love that,” Rafe chuckles.

“It’s actually really sweet,” Alec agrees, winking at a proud-as-punch Max.

“Now you can eat the bean,“ announces Magnus. “It tastes of Lucky Charms because Max wanted Rafe to like the taste.”

“Nice one,” Rafe says, high-fiving his little brother before popping the bean into his mouth. Alec followed suit.

When they reveal their matching green tongues, Rafe takes it to mean he’s definitely following in his father’s successful footsteps and glows as Max puts a goblet under the snake’s spout and pulls the spoon-shaped handle for the coffee to pour.

“Remember to put extra milk in Rafe’s goblet please, Max,” says Magnus, smirking at the eye roll this earns him from his offended son.

Moaning with pleasure over how satisfying his coffee tastes, Alec sets down his cup and draws them all in for a group hug.

“Gentlemen, you’ve just given me the perfect blend of family, fun and fantasy that I could ever hope to enjoy. Thank you.”

Forgiving his husband the terrible pun, Magnus knows he couldn’t agree more.

Chapter 2 - Christmas Day

***************************

“I think our presents were a success, Alexander. Would you agree?” asks Magnus as they attempt a waltz around the loft, but Alec’s trying to focus on avoiding all the trip hazards that litter the floor, such as Persian rugs, Chairman, randomly tossed cushions and the odd discarded toy.

“Uh, yeah. They seemed over the moon with them,” he smiles. Mostly, it’s relief at having just negotiated the coffee table without incident, but there’s also the memory of how elated the boys had been, despite the early hour.

Having arranged for their friends to visit them for a late breakfast, he and Magnus had decided to let the boys dive straight into opening their gifts after being rudely woken up with their ear-splitting cries of, ”Merry Christmas,” and clambered over by their reckless limbs. There’d been many to get through but, as always, their own special ones had been revealed in an unconventional way, as befitting his unconventional husband.

Already overjoyed with all the smaller items they’d been lucky enough to receive from their parents, the boys had been watching the film, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, a tradition they’d adopted ever since Max had discovered the scene where Violet Beauregarde turned into a giant blueberry, when Magnus had reminded them that their festive stockings hadn’t been emptied yet.

Suspicious but eager to seek out more possible rewards, both had taken the Wonka chocolate bars inside to be exactly that, until they’d removed the wrapping and discovered the golden tickets with news of their bespoke gifts written on them.

Private singing and dancing lessons for Rafe and a prominent pirate role in an upcoming blockbuster movie for Max, both courtesy of Magnus’ close personal friends, Beyonce and Baz.

Chairman was still recovering from the screams that had rocked the entire apartment, hence why he was nowhere to be seen now, despite the number of familiar faces that were here this afternoon. Though the volume in here could have something to do with it too.

In honour of one of their generous donors, the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack had been selected as something they could all dance to, and glancing around him, Alec thinks it’s an inspired choice. How else would he be able to bask in the timeless fun of seeing Simon lip-sync a love medley to his adoring boyfriend, with Raphael’s heart eyes in full effect whenever it’s his turn to join in, with gusto. Probably for her own protection, Madzie was out on the balcony learning how to cha-cha with Catarina, while Ragnor’s frequent offers to teach them the gavotte or the jive fell on purposely-deaf ears.

And then there was their precious sons, too busy eating the last of the penguin-shaped pretzels Catarina had brought to take an active part in the chaos, but cheering loudly from the sidelines in between bites.

Alec’s sigh is filled with bone-deep contentment. One Magnus recognises instantly, dipping him into a martini-flavoured kiss Alec never wants to end.

Alas, someone has other ideas.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake man, put him down. You still have guests, you know?” Ragnor chides as he passes by on the way to Magnus’ apothecary, port in one hand and shortbread in the other, having clearly taken the hint that his skills weren’t currently required.

“You’re just sour that I christened you after the Hufflepuff ghost on account of your tongue. ‘The Fat Friar’ actually suits you,” Magnus shoots back with a pointed look at Ragnor’s stash, claiming another kiss out of spite before restoring Alec to an upright position.

Far too soon, for Alec’s liking.

“At least you weren’t ‘The Bloody Baron,’ that was way too convenient, if you ask me,” Raphael chimes in, letting slip a private smirk when Simon questions the accuracy of having been dubbed ‘Nearly Headless Nick.’ “Close enough,” he replies, utterly deadpan.

“Well, I still think Tessa should’ve been here to claim the title of ‘The Grey Lady’ but I’ll take it with grace,” Catarina says, a breathless Madzie on her hip as she rejoins them from outside.

“On that ridiculous note, I will take my leave, and my surplus-to-requirement dancing skills, to the den next door, in peaceful tribute to the fantastical badger aligned to my Hufflepuff House,” declares Ragnor, taking three steps before jabbing a finger in Magnus and Alec’s direction. “And you, my boys, better not disturb me with your caterwauling when the final song comes on.”

“The Hogwarts School motto is ‘Never tickle a sleeping dragon,’ my dear cabbage, so you’re quite safe,” Magnus counters, laser-quick, to a chorus of giggles and a solitary, unamused groan. “My work here is done,” his wicked husband chuckles, before declaring everyone needs refreshments ahead of the grand finale.

Watching him go, Alec thinks about how he’d never wanted to celebrate Christmas growing up in the stale environment of the Institute, but as with so many things, Alec had only known what he wanted since Magnus Bane had come along. The best gift Alec could’ve asked for.

***********************************

Sipping his cranberry margarita in the doorway of the balcony, Magnus takes a much-needed timeout from his duties as co-host for the evening and surveys the scene before him.

Thanks to everyone’s high spirits and all the party debris they’re accumulating, the loft is an absolute mess. Yet to Magnus, it’s never looked more perfect a home than it does in this moment.

Against a colourful backdrop of Christmas lights and mirror balls, family and friends are strewn across couches, rugs and cushions in varying states of sobriety, each one enjoying the company of those around them and managing to drown out the muted background music with their lively chatter and carefree laughter.

The now-familiar feeling of being home that Alec’s always given him, is only strengthened by the bonds that have been forged between their families, both biological and chosen.

A sigh escapes him as he imagines how different his life might have been had his mother lived, but there’s no other universe in which he sees himself being happier than he is here, with Alec and their sons. So he raises his glass in a silent toast to the mother whose loss he still feels to this day, and rejoins the party with a genuine smile for some of those people he’s happy to have found.

He’s barely taken two steps before an excitable Max is summoning him across the room to where Clary’s impressive face-painting skills are transforming his son into Frosty the Snowman, his beautiful horns, only unglamoured in the presence of those he trusts, just like his blue skin, have been turned into carrots and his blue hair is a riot of glitter and snowflakes. Conjuring a cashmere scarf to complete the look, Magnus takes a photo before messy hands have a chance to undo all the hard work.

“Just when I think you couldn’t look any cooler,“ Magnus quips, smitten with the groan and eye-roll combo that meets his embarrassing ‘dad’ joke. He still gets his cuddle though. “I think you both deserve a snow cone. Agreed?”

“Absolutely!” Clary chimes in. “But maybe make mine a little more Black Russian than blackcurrant, please?”

“Your wish is my command, biscuit,” Magnus replies, sweeping a bow as he delivers their rewards with a finger snap and giving them both a paternal pat on the head, moving on swiftly at Clary’s glare.

He spies Luke barely managing to hide his mirth over yet another argument between those notoriously fiery lovebirds known as Maia and Jace, unaware he now embodies the ‘jolly old elf’ on his gloriously ugly Christmas sweater, and decides to find out why.

“Trouble in paradise?” he asks his friend, from a safe distance away. Then he overhears his hapless brother-in-law misquote Dickens’ famous introduction to A Tale of Two Cities in a bid to prove he knows his Shakespeare, and Magnus thinks he already knows the answer.

“Oh dear.”

“Yep, it’s that bad,” Luke confirms, shoulders shaking with the effort it’s costing him not to burst out laughing. “Nine months in and the boy still hasn’t learned there’s nothing that riles our well-read warrior more than the desecration of her favourite classics.”

“And compounding it by confusing the writers?” Magnus shudders. “I always knew his self-preservation skills were minimal, but she’ll tear him to shreds if he keeps this up.”

Luke swigs his beer and slaps a paw on Magnus’ shoulder. “Fifty says he’s sleeping on your couch tonight.”

“A hundred says he isn’t.”

“Deal.”

Parting on a fist bump, Magnus winks at his admiring husband in passing and locates Isabelle in the newly-restored kitchen. Unsupervised.

Worse still, she’s engrossed in that cookbook from Idris that Robert gifted her years ago, but when she begins her feverish search for ingredients, that’s when fear grips him, thanks to a deeply unpleasant memory.

Throwing back his cocktail, Magnus knows he has to try and stop her before someone gets hurt.

“Isabelle, my dear, care to help me devour the last cream cheese bagel from Sadelle’s before Alexander gets his hands on that thing?”

She hits him in his weak spot with those luminous Lightwood eyes and devastating smile, and before she’s even finished her sweetly-worded request for permission to cook, he’s giving her carte blanche to potentially poison them all.

Oh well, he tried.

Spinning on his heels, Magnus initiates plan B, first seeking out Clary to deploy her best distraction tactics on her girlfriend and secondly, heading for his apothecary to prepare the potent werewolf fangs they’ll all need to consume.

Glimpsing a terrified Jace as he emerges from the kitchen, Magnus cuts him off with, “I’m on it,” to which Jace nods in relief.

Minutes later, he’s just bottling the preventive potion when Alec steps inside and closes the door with a look of intent that holds more danger than anything his sister’s cooking could.

“Finally,” Alec whispers, grabbing Magnus to him by his waist and crushing his mouth like a starved man finding a meal.

Magnus allows himself a few minutes of mind-blowing kisses and handsy exploration, then detaches himself reluctantly to explain his need for haste in delivering the elixir to their guests, but Alec simply shrugs and pulls him back in for more.

Both freeze mid-action when an apologetic Jace, hands raised to protect his eyes from any scenes of near-nudity, grabs the bottle and leaves, closing the door behind him.

“Damn it,” Alec groans, both taking a steadying breath as they restore their clothes to a reasonable state of tidiness, rejoining the party after one last chaste kiss.

After dosing themselves up and with new drinks in hand, Magnus settles within Alec’s embrace to watch Rafe and Maryse sing the Spanish lullabies Alec’s been teaching their son from his childhood, When Luke joins his wife to lend his voice, it draws everyone else into the impromptu concert.

Magnus closes his eyes to savour his husband’s soft baritone and burrows deeper into his arms, grateful beyond measure for the loved ones that make his life this beautiful.

***********************************

“I don’t want to disturb them,” Alec admits as they lie sprawled and overlapping on opposite ends of the too-comfy couch, their sons’ adorable snores the only sound to break the well-earned peace they’re finally able to enjoy.

Magnus sighs, running gentle fingers through Rafe’s hair as he watches Alec nuzzle Max’s, both children curled into their chests with half their face-paint still on. “I don’t either, but we’ll all be sorry if we wake-up with stiff necks and headaches.”

Reluctantly, they gather up their sons, few protests made as they’re carried to their beds, where Magnus’ magic wipes their faces clean and dresses them in their festive pyjamas. Feather light kisses and moon-shaped night-lights, don’t disturb them.

Grateful for the day they’ve had, but more than ready for this time alone together, the husbands hold hands and head for their room, exchanging ‘love you’s’ and sharing kisses until they’re both sated and asleep.

And neither could wish for a more perfect way to wrap up Christmas than that.

#forensicsisabelle #malecsanta19 #*fics19 #*gifts19

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cindylouwho-2 · 5 years ago

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RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, December 2019

Welcome to my latest summary of recent news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & ecommerce! This covers articles I came across since the October report, although some may be older than that.

I am also missing a lot here, but pared it down somewhat to make more readable. The lead up to the holiday shopping season was a lot crazier than I expected 🙃

Given the time of year, please do not expect another report until January. However, I will do brief posts of important news/blog posts in the interim as needed.

There are going to be big changes to this report coming in 2020. Have any suggestions or feedback? Leave a comment below, email me through my website, or send me a message on Twitter.